WSU QB Tyler Hilinski Had CTE At Time Of Suicide

PULLMAN, WA - Former Washington State University quarterback Tyler Hilinski was suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) when he died by suicide in January, his parents revealed on the Today show Tuesday morning.

CTE is a degenerative disease that, in advanced stages, is akin to Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's. CTE has also been linked to depression, a major contributor to suicidal thoughts. In 2013, retired NFL lineman Junior Seau committed suicide, and was found to have CTE post-mortem.

Hilinksi was found dead Jan. 16 at his Pullman apartment, according to police. He shot himself with a rifle that he took from a teammate. Hilinksi, 21, originally from Claremont, Calif., was set to take over the starting quarterback role for WSU in the 2018 season.

Mark and Kym Hilinski told Today their son had the brain of a 65-year-old at the time of his death.

"Did football kill Tyler? I don't think so. Did he get CTE from football? Probably. Was that the only thing that attributed to his death? I don't know," Kym Hilinski says in a Sports Illustrated documentary about their son's CTE, according to the Today show.

You can find the Sports Illustrated documentary on Hilinski here.

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