New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo issued an apology for remarks made on the "Bring the Juice" podcast, where he described chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) as "an excuse" and asthma as "fake," urging those with asthma to "just breathe air."
In a statement posted to his Instagram story on Saturday, Skattebo said: "I recently did an interview and had a lapse in judgment, which resulted in me making a tasteless joke about CTE and asthma. It was never my intention to downplay the seriousness of head injuries or asthma. I sincerely apologize to anyone that was offended by my remarks, and I assure you that I’ll be more mindful and respectful going forward."
CTE is a progressive degenerative brain disease associated with repeated head trauma, according to the Mayo Clinic.[1]
A study published in the Journal of Neurotrauma reported posthumous CTE diagnoses in more than 100 former NFL players.[2]
Sources
- Mayo Clinic, "Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)," accessed October 2024, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy/symptoms-causes/syc-20370921
- University of Utah Health / Journal of Neurotrauma, "Large-Scale Study of CTE in Former NFL Players," 2018 (representative study confirming multiple cases), https://healthcare.utah.edu/publicaffairs/news/2018/07/cte-found-99-percent-studied-brains-former-nfl-players.php
