2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist, 9-time NFL Pro Bowl linebacker Maxie Baughan diagnosed with CTE
CLF, Baughan to be honored by CBS Sports’ Ross Tucker on Thursday through NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign
(Boston) – The family of 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist and nine-time NFL Pro Bowl linebacker Maxie Baughan is announcing his CTE diagnosis today through the Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) to encourage support for CTE research. Baughan was one of the NFL’s most feared linebackers in the 1960s for Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Rams. He helped the Eagles win an NFL title as a rookie and went on to coach for five NFL teams. Dr. Ann McKee, director of the Boston University CTE Center, diagnosed Baughan with stage 3 (of 4) CTE after his death in 2023 at age 85.
“Maxie dedicated so much of his life to the game of football,” said Dianne Baughan, Maxie’s wife of 62 years. “He would be proud to know his contribution to research would teach us how to make the game he loved safer and protect future athletes from suffering. Our family is touched by Ross Tucker’s decision to honor him.”
Baughan is one of three finalists to advance to the final stage of voting for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class in the Seniors category. Ross Tucker, a former NFL offensive lineman and current CBS Sports analyst, is honoring Baughan and former Chicago Bears and Yale captain Mike Pyle on his custom shoes through the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign. This marks the fourth consecutive year Tucker has selected CLF as his charitable organization. Tucker plans to wear the shoes during coverage of the Lions vs. Packers game on Thursday. Baughan was the defensive coordinator for the Lions from 1980 to 1982.
“I am proud to honor Maxie Baughan and Mike Pyle, two great players who helped build the NFL, but more importantly, are teaching us about CTE through brain donation,” said Tucker, who played seven seasons in the NFL and was an All-Ivy selection at Princeton. “It means a lot to me to recognize two Ivy League leaders and show my appreciation for all my fellow Ivy League athletes who have stepped up to support the Concussion Legacy Foundation’s End CTE campaign to help advance CTE prevention and research.”
Baughan made nine Pro Bowls with multiple All-Pro selections during his 13-year career. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame for his career at Georgia Tech and is also a member of the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame. He played a total of 25 years of tackle football, beginning at age 8. Baughan is among the brain donors who have taught the world that the more years one plays tackle football, the greater their odds of developing CTE.
Mike Pyle, captain of the last unbeaten Yale team and 1963 NFL champion Chicago Bears, was diagnosed with stage 4 CTE after his death in 2015.
Tucker will join dozens of other analysts and announcers in wearing custom tennis shoes and hundreds of NFL players in wearing custom cleats representing the charitable cause of their choice during Weeks 13 & 14. In previous years, Tucker has honored Junior Seau, Demaryius Thomas, Chris Eitzmann, and Tom McHale. The Baughan family gave Tucker permission to honor Maxie back in September.
Current and former football players can join Tucker in the fight to End CTE by signing up for the CLF Research Registry. Those who are interested can learn more about pledging their brain or participating in clinical research studies at CLFResearch.org.