Table 1. Characteristics of NFL Athletes With ALS Who Debuted Between 1960 and 2019.
| Decade of debut | No. of ALS cases | No. of athletes by race | Position | Time in NFL, mean (SD), y | Age at entering NFL, mean (SD), y | Age at ALS diagnosis, mean (SD), y | Time before death, mean (SD), y [No. of athletes] | Time between diagnosis and end of study, mean (SD), y [No. of athletes]a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 15 | 1 Black and 14 White players | 2 DB, 3 DL, 1 LB, 4 OL, 3 QB, 1 RB, 1 WR | 6.3 (4.1) | 23.1 (1.5) | 60.4 (12.8) | 3.2 (2.8) [15] | NA |
| 1970s | 5 | 1 Black and 4 White players | 1 DL, 1 LB, 1 OL, 1 RB, 1 WR | 8.8 (3.1) | 22.4 (0.5) | 55.8 (10.9) | 3.0 (2.2) [4] | 4.0 (0.0) [1] |
| 1980s | 13 | 10 Black and 3 White players | 4 DB, 2 DL, 3 LB, 2 OL, 2 RB | 6.6 (4.8) | 22.6 (1.0) | 45.3 (10.1) | 3.0 (1.8) [7] | 4.8 (7.2) [6] |
| 1990s | 3 | 2 Black and 1 White player | 1 DB, 1 LB, 1 RB | 7.3 (0.6) | 24.3 (2.3) | 37.0 (4.6) | 8.0 (2.8) [2] | 13.0 (0.0) [1] |
| 2000s | 2 | 2 White players | 1 DB, 1 LB | 6.5 (0.7) | 23.0 (0.0) | 32.0 (2.8) | NA | 7.5 (2.1) [2] |
| 2010s | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Total | 38 | 14 Black and 24 White players | 8 DB, 6 DL, 7 LB, 7 OL, 3 QB, 5 RB, 2 WR | 6.8 (3.9) | 22.9 (1.3) | 51.0 (13.8) | 3.5 (2.6) | 6.1 (5.7) |
Abbreviations: ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; DB, defensive backs; DL, defensive linemen; LB, linebackers; NA, not applicable; NFL, National Football League; OL, offensive linemen; QB, quarterbacks; RB, running backs; WR, wide receivers.
a
Study window ended on April 30, 2021.