When former Grand Valley State quarterback Cullen Finnerty ran off into the Michigan wilderness alone back in May and was later found dead, speculation swirled about his mental state in the hours before his disappearance.
Now family, friends and former teammates and coaches of the three-time national champion, who wore No. 16, have some answers after the findings of an autopsy were reported by the Associated Press.
Finnerty, 30, suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy in his brain, according to the autopsy. It is a condition numerous former football players have been found to have and is believed to be caused, in part, by traumatic blows to the head.
The autopsy also revealed that Finnerty died from pneumonia caused by inhaling his own vomit.
Finnerty was found in a wooded area near a cottage in Northern Michigan owned by his family. The AP reported at the time that Finnerty was acting nervous or afraid of something when he spoke to a family member on the phone on the day of his disappearance.
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