Pro Football’s “Dirtiest Player” Conrad Dobler Diagnosed with stage 3 CTE

3x Pro Bowler Dobler’s family sharing diagnosis to inspire research participation

(Boston) – The family of three-time NFL Pro Bowl guard Conrad Dobler is announcing his chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) diagnosis today through the Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) to raise awareness for the disease and inspire participation in CTE research. Boston University CTE Center researchers diagnosed Dobler with stage 3 (of 4) CTE after his death in 2023 at age 72.

“My dad loved the game of football, but his love for the game took a toll on his body, his mind, and his relationships,” said Erin Lewin, Dobler’s daughter who was his primary caregiver for the final few years of his life. “His CTE diagnosis provides a sense of closure in terms of justifying his neurological and behavioral issues that took a toll not only on him but on all of us who loved and cared for him. We are relieved to have a definitive answer and proud to honor his wish to go public with the findings to raise awareness for the risks of repetitive head trauma and for the research being done at Boston University.”

Dobler was a three-time Pro Bowl selection in the 1970s during his tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals. He went on to play for the Saints and Bills before retiring after 10 seasons in the league at age 31. During his NFL career, Dobler became well known for utilizing what many called unsportsmanlike tactics. A 1977 cover story in Sports Illustrated even crowned him “Pro Football’s Dirtiest Player.” To many former teammates though, Dobler was a loyal, lifelong friend.

“Conrad started as my teammate and ultimately became my brother,” said Pro Football Hall of Fame lineman Dan Dierdorf, Dobler’s teammate in St. Louis. “It broke my heart to watch him struggle and slowly slip away. He was a force of nature… until he wasn’t.”

Dobler had a subtype of CTE discovered in 2024 by the Boston University CTE Center called cortical sparing CTE. Cortical sparing CTE has less severe neuron death in the cortex and tends to have slightly less severe cognitive symptoms, but earlier onset of behavioral symptoms.

Dobler pledged to donate his brain in 2010 when he was 59 and participated in clinical research at the Boston University CTE Center. His family says he was very passionate about CTE research, and he made it clear he wanted to play any role he could in making the game he loved so much safer.

“The support we have received from Conrad Dobler and the hundreds of former NFL players and their families who have participated in our research has put us on the cusp of diagnosing CTE in living people,” said Dr. Ann McKee, chief of neuropathology for the VA Boston Healthcare System and director of the Boston University CTE Center and UNITE Brain Bank. “With continued support from the NFL player community, we will eventually be able to prevent future families from suffering the indignities and pain of CTE.”

Right now, CTE can only be definitively diagnosed through neuropathological brain tissue analysis after death. The Concussion Legacy Foundation is currently actively recruiting for six clinical studies that will get researchers closer to diagnosing CTE in life using biomarkers and new types of brain imaging, understanding why some people get CTE and others do not, and looking at other changes in the brain caused by repetitive head impacts.

The Dobler family encourages all former football players interested in participating in research to sign up for the CLF Research Registry at CLFResearch.org.