When he ended his life last year by shooting himself in the chest, Junior Seau had a degenerative brain disease often linked with repeated blows to the head. beats by dre on sale uk . Researchers from the National Institutes of Health said Thursday the former NFL stars abnormalities are consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. The hard-hitting linebacker played for 20 NFL seasons with San Diego, Miami and New England before retiring in 2009. He died at age 43 of a self-inflicted gunshot in May, and his family requested the analysis of his brain. "We saw changes in his behaviour and things that didnt add up with him," his ex-wife, Gina, told The Associated Press. "But (CTE) was not something we considered or even were aware of. But pretty immediately (after the suicide) doctors were trying to get their hands on Juniors brain to examine it." The NIH, based in Bethesda, Md., studied three unidentified brains, one of which was Seaus, and said the findings on Seau were similar to autopsies of people "with exposure to repetitive head injuries." "It was important to us to get to the bottom of this, the truth," Gina Seau added, "and now that it has been conclusively determined from every expert that he had obviously had CTE, we just hope it is taken more seriously. You cant deny it exists, and it is hard to deny there is a link between head trauma and CTE. Theres such strong evidence correlating head trauma and collisions and CTE." In the final years of his life, Seau had wild behavioural swings, according to Gina and to 23-year-old son, Tyler, along with signs of irrationality, forgetfulness, insomnia and depression. "He emotionally detached himself and would kind of go away for a little bit," Tyler Seau said. "And then the depression and things like that. It started to progressively get worse." He hid it well in public, they said, but not when he was with family or close friends. Seau joins a list of several dozen football players who were found to have CTE. Boston Universitys centre for study of the disease reported last month that 34 former pro players and nine who played only college football suffered from CTE. The NFL faces lawsuits by thousands of former players who say the league withheld information on the harmful effects of concussions. According to an AP review of 175 lawsuits, 3,818 players have sued. At least 26 Hall of Famer members are among the players who have done so. The National Football League, in an email to the AP, said: "We appreciate the Seau familys co-operation with the National Institutes of Health. The finding underscores the recognized need for additional research to accelerate a fuller understanding of CTE. "The NFL, both directly and in partnership with the NIH, Centers for Disease Control and other leading organizations, is committed to supporting a wide range of independent medical and scientific research that will both address CTE and promote the long-term health and safety of athletes at all levels." NFL teams have given a $30 million research grant to the NIH. The players union called the NIH report on Seau "tragic." "The only way we can improve the safety of players, restore the confidence of our fans and secure the future of our game is to insist on the same quality of medical care, informed consent and ethical standards that we expect for ourselves and for our family members," the NFLPA said in a statement. "This is why the players have asked for things like independent sideline concussion experts, the certification and credentialing of all professional football medical staff and a fairer workers compensation system in professional football," it said. Seau is not the first former NFL player who killed himself and later was found to have had CTE. Dave Duerson and Ray Easterling are the others. Before shooting himself, Duerson, a former Chicago Bears defensive back, left a note asking that his brain be studied for signs of trauma. His family filed a wrongful-death suit against the NFL, claiming the league didnt do enough to prevent or treat the concussions that severely damaged his brain. Easterling played safety for the Falcons in the 1970s. After his career, he suffered from dementia, depression and insomnia, according to his wife, Mary Ann. He committed suicide last April. Mary Ann Easterling is among the plaintiffs who have sued the NFL. Tyler Seau played football through high school and for two years in college. He says he has no symptoms of brain trauma. "I was not surprised after learning a little about CTE that he had it," Tyler said. "He did play so many years at that level. I was more just kind of angry I didnt do something more and have the awareness to help him more, and now it is too late." Gina Seaus son Jake, now a high school junior, played football for two seasons but has switched to lacrosse and has been recruited to play at Duke. "Lacrosse is really his sport and what he is passionate about," she said. "He is a good football player and probably could continue. But especially now watching what his dad went through, he says, Why would I risk lacrosse for football? "I didnt have to have a discussion with him after we saw what Junior went through." Her 12-year-old son Hunter has shown no interest in playing football. "Thats fine with me," she said. Beats by Dr Dre uk . The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency brought charges of performance-enhancing drug use against Armstrong in June, threatening to strip him of his victories. A federal grand jury investigation of the cyclist ended four months earlier without any indictments. Armstrong repeatedly has proclaimed his innocence and sued in federal court in Austin, Texas, claiming USADA rules violate athletes constitutional right to a fair trial. Beats by Dr Dre . The 18-year-old Schalke midfielder is the only surprise in Loews 27-man squad. "Draxler is a player with huge potential," Loew said. "Hes good in one-on-one situations and hes very quick. http://www.beatsbydreukonlinestor... . Its a sign of just how much has changed for Hinchcliffe in a very short period of time. He wasnt even in IndyCar two years ago, when he was a guest commentator for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway radio team during the race. [url=http://www.beatsbydreukonlinestore.co.uk/]Beats by Dre headphones . Two-time champion Maria Sharapova had a tougher time subduing British qualifier Heather Watson 6-7 (7), 6-3, 6-4, while 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, the fourth-seeded player, was upset by Petra Martic of Croatia 6-4, 6-4. beats by dre on sale .C. -- No.The yet-to-be-named Ottawa CFL franchise has found the man who will lead them in their return to the CFL. After a lengthy search, Jeff Hunt and the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment group have selected Alouettes assistant general manager Marcel Desjardins to be the new general manager of the Ottawa team which is expected to return to the CFL for the 2014 season. Desjardins will likely be introduced at a press conference sometiime in the next week. Beats By Dre Studio. . The Burlington, Ont. native has spent the last five seasons as assistant GM for the Alouettes winning two Grey Cups with the team. He had also worked for the Alouettes from 1999-2006 before spending a year as general manager of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2007. He had also previously worked at the Canadian Football League head office in Toronto for five years from 1994-1999. ' ' '