Two weeks ago, I first told you about Ryan Hoffman, an offensive lineman at my alma mater, the University of North Carolina, from 1994 to 1997. He had been in a downward spiral since his senior year due to severe cognitive problems that have kept him from holding a job. It looked like he bottomed out last August, when he left home in frustration; he’s been homeless since then. Hoffman and his family are certain that he has permanent brain damage from numerous hard hits he took during his high school and college days. After his story first broke in The New York Times, numerous offers to help flowed in from across the country.
Well, it looks like this story is taking a turn for the better. When Carolina professor Kevin Guskiewicz, a concussion expert, read Hoffman’s story, he offered to bring Hoffman to Chapel Hill for three to four days of free tests at the Center for the Study of Retired Athletes. According to WCHL in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels’ radio flagship, Hoffman has accepted that offer. WCHL reports that Carolina flew Hoffman to Chapel Hill on Tuesday via a private plane. Earlier today, Hoffman posted on a Facebook page created for him by his sister, Kira Soto, thanking everyone for their support.
On Wednesday, a picture of Hoffman posing at the Old Well, a campus landmark that has long been Carolina’s unofficial symbol, with former teammate Beau Parry began making the rounds on social media after being posted to the page of a crowdfunding effort at GreatestFan to help raise money for Hoffman. Parry, who played linebacker at Carolina from 1992 to 1995, has been helping lead the effort to help Hoffman and has been publicizing the effort on social media. When Carolina officials got word of the picture, they only said that they have been in touch with Hoffman and his family, and are working to get him the help he needs. Athletic director Bubba Cunningham recently got NCAA clearance to provide Hoffman with “human necessities” like food and clothing. It’s not clear whether HIPAA allows them to provide any specifics at this point.
As late as last week, it was unclear whether Hoffman would even make the trip. When Soto spoke with him on the phone on March 10, he said that he was “overwhelmed” by all the offers to help him, and was reluctant to go get tested for fear of what doctors may find. It’s easy to see how he could have been overwhelmed. Hoffman has said he had at least one concussion during his college career, and may have had more. However, he didn’t let on about it at the time for fear of losing his starting job–something that would never happen today. It’s clear beyond any doubt that something was going wrong as early as his senior year. By then, he had to put his important things in plastic bags in order to keep up with them. His family believes that he may have chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disorder caused by repeated hits to the head. It’s been found in several football players, most notably Hall of Famer Mike Webster–best known as Terry Bradshaw’s longtime center–and former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry. It can only be definitively diagnosed in dead people, but Hoffman’s family is convinced that he has it.
Hoffman’s going to need a lot of help in the coming months. In addition to the fundraiser at GreatestFan, Soto has started a GoFundMe drive to help get her brother into decent housing and pay for any rehab that he needs. Before you ask why the NCAA doesn’t foot the bill, it turns out that there are dozens of players in Hoffman’s shoes. That is, they never played in the NFL, and yet are suffering from the effects of possible brain injuries. Ramogi Huma, the president of the National College Players’ Association, told The Times earlier this month that any NCAA settlement wouldn’t even begin to be enough because of the sheer number of players affected. If nothing else, this story should keep those who don’t have access to the kind of support that Hoffman has from falling through the cracks. That will matter more than any settlement.
