January 28, 2025 • 17 mins
The tragic story of Jovan Belcher, a Kansas City Chiefs linebacker, serves as a stark reminder of the often-overlooked issues surrounding mental health and athlete safety in professional sports. On a crisp December morning in 2012, Belcher's life and career came to a shocking and violent end, raising profound questions about the impact of traumatic brain injuries and the culture of the NFL. This episode delves deeply into the events leading up to the murder-suicide that left his girlfriend, Cassandra Perkins, dead and their three-month-old daughter without parents. Through a meticulous recounting of the night before the tragedy—where heavy drinking, arguments, and infidelity came to a head—the podcast paints a chilling picture of a man whose mental state was deteriorating, despite his outward success. The discussion not only highlights the personal struggles of Belcher but also the systemic failures within sports organizations that often prioritize performance over player well-being.
Exploring the aftermath of the tragedy, the episode sheds light on the NFL's responses, including significant changes to their mental health policies and domestic violence protocols. The shocking revelation of Belcher's brain condition, diagnosed posthumously as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), emphasizes the urgent need for awareness and reform in how head injuries are managed in sports. The episode also touches on the broader implications for the NFL and society, making it a poignant commentary on the intersection of sports, mental health, and domestic violence. Ultimately, it serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of recognizing warning signs and the devastating consequences of neglecting mental health in athletes.
- Deadspin | Jovan Belcher's Mother Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Chiefs
- Kansas City Star "Exclusive: Police reports detail Belcher, Perkins' last hours"
- Jovan Belcher - Wikipedia
- Jovan Belcher's brain showed signs of CTE, doctor says in report - ESPN
- Fox 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV "Police Release Full Report on Belcher Murder-Suicide Case"
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Foreign fans.
I'm your host, Judy, andyou're listening to Fangirl Crime.
Today.
I'm covering a case that sentshockwaves through the NFL and forever
changed how we think aboutathlete mental health, brain injuries
and the dark side of America'sfavorite sport.
(00:21):
This is the story of KansasCity Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher
and the tragic murder suicidethat left a young mother dead, a
three month old baby girlorphaned, and an entire sports community
questioning everything theythought they knew about player safety.
I need to warn you, thisepisode contains detailed discussions
(00:44):
of domestic violence, suicide,traumatic brain injury and mental
health issues.
Please take care of yourselfand feel free to skip this one if
these topics are triggeringfor you.
Let's start at the end.
Not the beginning of Jovan's life.
We'll get there, but thebeginning of the end.
(01:05):
It's December 1, 2012, a crispSaturday morning in Kansas City,
Missouri.
The kind of morning where yourbreath makes little clouds in the
air and the grass is stillcrunchy with frost.
The sun hasn't been up longand most people are just starting
their weekend.
But for 25 year old JovanBelcher and 22 year old Cassandra
(01:26):
Perkins, this morning would betheir last.
Just before 8am that morning,Joven pulls into the Chief's practice
facility parking lot.
And what happens next stillgives me chills.
Think about this scene.
He steps out of his carholding a handgun to his head.
Chiefs general manager ScottPioli is already there because it's
totally normal for managementto be working on a Saturday before
(01:49):
a game.
But what's not normal?
Finding your startinglinebacker in the parking lot with
a gun to his head.
Scott Pioli and head coachRomeo Krennell are now desperately
trying to talk Jovan down.
Police sirens are wailing inthe distance, getting closer and
closer.
But Jovan, he just keepssaying, I got to go.
I can't be here.
(02:10):
And then he does somethingthat haunts me.
He kneels down beside his car,makes the sign of the cross and pulls
the trigger.
But crime fans, if you thinkthat's tragic, and it absolutely
is, wait until you hear whathappened earlier that morning.
Because this, this wasactually the second act of violence
(02:31):
Jovan committed that day.
Thirty minutes earlier, Jovanpulls up to his home on the 5400
block of Chrysler Avenue inhis black Bentley.
The house is a beautiful twostory building that he bought after
signing his second contractwith the Chiefs.
It should have been a symbolof success, of the American dream.
(02:51):
Instead, it was about tobecome a crime scene.
Now, from the investigation weknow that the night before, both
Jovan and Cassandra had beenout separately.
Cassandra was at a Tres Songsconcert with friends, enjoying a
rare night out since becominga mom.
Jovan was at the Tango SaidCantina, a popular spot in the Power
(03:15):
Amp Light District, with adifferent group of friends.
It should have been normalenough, right?
Just two young parents havingseparate nights out with friends.
But here's where things get complicated.
According to friends who werewith Jovan that night, he'd been
drinking heavily.
One friend later told policethat Jovan had confided in them about
(03:39):
relationship problems, saying things.
When Cassandra got home around1am Jovan wasn't there.
According to cell phonerecords, they exchanged several texts,
some of them argumentative.
Jovan didn't come home untilafter 6:30am meaning he'd been out
for over seven hours.
And here's the thing thatmakes my stomach turn.
(04:00):
Police later discovered thatJoven had spent several hours in
his car outside the apartmentof another woman, a woman he'd been
seeing on the side.
When he finally got home that morning.
Walk witnesses in neighboringhouses reported hearing raised voices.
Staying with Jovan.
And Cassandra was Jovan's mom,Cheryl Shepherd.
(04:20):
She had flown in to help withthe new baby and to give the couple
a chance to work through their problems.
She was there at this time andlater told police she heard them
arguing about relationshipissues, specifically about Cassandra
going out while being a newmom, and about Jovan's late nights
and suspicious behavior.
Then, at 7:50am Gunshotsshattered the morning quiet.
(04:42):
And what investigators woulduncover in the following days would
reveal just how many warningsigns had been missed.
The Kansas City PoliceDepartment processed not one, but
two separate crime scenes that day.
And let me tell you, what theyfound was absolutely chilling.
When Police arrived at 7:52amthey found Cassandra Perkins on the
(05:05):
master bedroom floor.
She had been shot 10 times.
10 times.
Just let that sink in for a moment.
According to the medicalexaminer's report, Cassandra had
gunshot wounds to her chest,neck, abdomen, hip, back and hand.
That hand wound, it was what'scalled a defensive wound, meaning
(05:29):
she had her hand up trying toprotect herself.
I can't even imagine her final moments.
Crime scene Investigatorsspent over 12 hours processing that
bedroom.
They collected 89 pieces of evidence.
Just think about that number.
89 separate pieces of evidencefrom one room.
They found nine shell casingsscattered across the floor.
(05:52):
Multiple blood samples fromdifferent areas, finger and palm
prints from various surfaces,fibers from clothing and carpeting,
hair.
Hair samples, a broken lampthat suggested a struggle.
Several Electronic devices, astack of medical bills, and something
that breaks my heart.
A torn up letter that had tobe pieced back together.
(06:16):
Want to know what makes thiseven more tragic?
That letter, oncereconstructed, turned out to be from
Cassandra.
She was writing about herconcerns over Jovan's changing behavior
and mood swings.
She specifically mentioned himbecoming a different person after
games.
Here's the thing about JovanBelcher that makes this case even
more tragic.
(06:36):
By all accounts, he was thedefinition of a success story.
Let me paint you a picture.
We're talking about a kid whowasn't just on his high school football
team.
He was team captain at WestBabylon High for two seasons.
He led them to two Long islandfootball championships, playoff appearances,
and get this.
(06:57):
Even after he made it big, hekept coming back to give pre game
speeches to inspire the nextgeneration of players.
Then there's his college yearsat the University of Maine.
Sure, he racked up all thefootball accolades you'd expect,
but that's not what stops mein my tracks.
He won an Academic MomentumAward from the National Consortium
(07:18):
for Academics and SportsScholar Baller program.
Think about that.
This wasn't just some jockskating buy on his athletic ability.
He graduated with a degree inChild Development and Family relations.
Even after making it to theNFL, he was still that same community
minded person.
He visited military bases,spent time at elementary schools
(07:41):
promoting NFL youth programs.
On paper, Jovan Belcher wasliving the American dream.
But here's where things get dark.
Crime fans.
After years of youth football,four years of high school ball, four
years in college, and now inhis fourth year as a pro, who was
Joven Belcher really becoming?
(08:01):
Cause the man I'm about totell you about, he's nothing like
the promising young athlete Ijust described.
Here's where the investigationtakes an even darker turn.
When detectives conductedforensic analysis of their cell phones,
they found hundreds of textsbetween Jovan and Cassandra in the
weeks leading up to the traged.
Many were confrontational.
(08:23):
But they also found something else.
Messages between Jovan and atleast three other women.
One of the most disturbingpieces of evidence.
A notebook found in Jovan's car.
The last entry was dated justthree days before the shooting.
It read, and I quote, I can'tget the ringing out of my head.
(08:44):
Something's wrong with me.
I feel like I'm underwater allthe time.
That entry makes my blood run cold.
Especially when you considerwhat we would later learn about the
condition of Jovan's brain.
Let's look into Jovan'srelationship with Cassandra.
We need to go back to whenJovan and Cassandra first met at
(09:04):
a Chiefs team event.
And can I just say, theirearly relationship was like something
out of a movie.
Cassandra was 20 years old andstudying to become an elementary
school teacher.
By all accounts, she wasvivacious, caring, and always smiling.
Jovan was 22 and had justfinished his rookie season with the
Chiefs.
(09:24):
Teammate and running backJamal Charles introduced the couple,
Cassandra being his first cousin.
Friends said Jovan wouldsurprise Cassandra with flowers at
her classes.
He helped her study for exams.
She attended every home gamewearing his number 59 jersey.
Within six months, they movedin together.
(09:44):
When Jovan bought that houseon Chrysler Avenue, they seemed perfect
together.
The successful NFL player andthe ambitious teacher to be.
But we all know how thesestories go, don't we?
Things are rarely what they seem.
The first red flag startedappearing in early 2011.
Friends reported seeingarguments at social events.
(10:05):
And let me tell you about thecontrolling behavior that started
to emerge.
According to multiplewitnesses, Jovan would constantly
check Cassandra's phone, showup unexpectedly when she was out
with friends, control theirfinances, making her ask for money,
isolate her from friends whohe thought were bad influences.
(10:27):
Now we need to talk about whatmight be the most crucial piece of
this tragic puzzle.
The medical findings,specifically about CTE or.
Or chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
And let me tell you, whatresearchers found in Jovan's brain
was nothing short of shocking.
In December 2013, a year afterthe tragedy, Jovan's body was exhumed
(10:51):
from a cemetery in LongIsland, New York.
His family had givenpermission for his brain to be studied
by researchers at BostonUniversity's center for the Study
of Traumatic Encephalopathy.
The examination was led by Dr.
Bennett Omalu.
Yes, the same Dr.
Will Smith portrayed in themovie Concussion.
(11:11):
What they found, it stillgives me chills.
Jovan had the brain of a 70year old man with Alzheimer's disease.
He was 25 years old.
Just let that sink in for a moment.
The damage was extensive.
They found tau proteinbuildups throughout his brain.
That's the signature marker of cte.
(11:32):
These proteins literallystrangle brain cells.
The areas most affected werehis frontal lobe, which controls
judgment and impulse control.
His temporal lobe, which dealswith memory and emotional responses,
and his parietal lobe, whichhelps with spatial orientation.
But here's what makes thiscase particularly significant.
(11:54):
Most CTE studies had been doneon much older players with longer
careers.
Jovan was just 25, and he'donly played three full seasons in
the NFL.
But get this.
Researchers estimated he'dsustained more than 11,000 head impacts
during his football career,starting from when he began playing
at age 9.
(12:15):
Think about that number.
11,000 impacts to the head,each one potentially contributing
to the deterioration of his brain.
The Jovan Belcher case becamea watershed moment for the NFL, forcing
the league to confront issuesthey'd been reluctant to address.
And the changes that cameafter this tragedy, they were massive.
(12:37):
In 2013, the NFL implementedwhat they called the NFL Lifeline,
a 247 crisis hotlinespecifically for current and former
NFL players, coaches, andfamily members.
But that was just the beginning.
In 2014, they completelyoverhauled their mental health protocols.
(12:58):
Every team was now required tohave a licensed mental health professional,
either a psychologist orpsychiatrist, as an in house counselor.
But perhaps the biggestchanges came in their domestic violence
policies.
And would you believe this?
Before this case, the NFL hadno specific policy for domestic violence
(13:19):
incidents.
None.
In 2014.
It's almost unthinkable.
Today, Zoe, who was just threemonths old when she lost both her
parents, is being raised byher mother's cousin in Texas.
The NFL's collectivebargaining agreement ensures she'll
be financially supportedthrough college.
But nothing can replace theparent she lost that day.
(13:42):
Let me tell you something thatkeeps me up at night.
When I think about this case,The NFL of 2009, when Jovan started
his career, it's almostunrecognizable compared to the league
today in 2024, every singlepractice, every single game, there
are dedicated medicalprofessionals whose only job is to
(14:04):
watch for potential head injuries.
They're called unaffiliatedneurotrauma consultants.
That's right.
They're not even employed bythe teams because the NFL wants them
to be completely independent.
And get this, players todayhave access to something called a
guardian cap.
It's this extra protectivelayer that goes around their helmets,
(14:25):
reducing the impact force ofhits by up to 33%.
Think about that.
One third less force goingstraight to your brain.
But Jovan, he never had that option.
Today, if a player takes ahard hit, they're immediately pulled
from the game.
They have to go through astandardized concussion evaluation.
And here's the crucial part.
(14:46):
It doesn't matter if it's thesuper bowl or a preseason game.
They cannot go back in untilthey're cleared by independent doctors.
But you know what reallyhaunts me about all this?
In Jovan's day, players wouldroutinely go right back into games
after taking massive hits.
They called it getting yourbell rung, like it was just some
(15:07):
normal part of the game.
There were no guardian caps,no independent neurologists on the
sidelines, no standardized protocols.
And here's the thing thatreally gets to me, crime fans.
If Jovan had started hiscareer in 2024 instead of 2009, would
all those 11,000 hits to hishead have been less devastating?
(15:29):
Would someone have noticed thechanges in his behavior sooner?
Would Cassandra still be alive?
We'll never know for sure.
But what we do know is thatevery single one of those hits was
slowly changing who Jovan was,one impact at a time.
This case isn't just a truecrime story.
(15:50):
It's a cautionary tale aboutthe intersection of mental health,
professional sports, traumaticbrain injury and domestic violence.
It's a reminder that sometimesthe warning signs are there, but
we don't know how to read them.
Or worse, we choose to ignore them.
If you or someone you know isstruggling with thoughts of suicide,
please call the NationalSuicide prevention lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.
(16:16):
If you're experiencingdomestic violence, the National Domestic
Violence hotline is available 24.
7 at 1-800-799-SAFE.
And please, crime fans, if yousee someone struggling, whether it's
with mental health,relationship issues or substance
(16:37):
abuse, don't wait to reach out.
Sometimes just letting someoneknow you care can make all the difference.
Be safe, be smart.
Don't be a stranger.
And remember, if you thinksomething's wrong, trust your gut
and speak up.
It could save a life.
Stay safe, stay passionate,and don't let anyone dim your love
(16:59):
of the game.
Foreign fans.
I'm your host, Judy, andyou're listening to Fangirl Crime.
Today.
I'm covering a case that sentshockwaves through the NFL and forever
changed how we think aboutathlete mental health, brain injuries
and the dark side of America'sfavorite sport.
(00:21):
This is the story of KansasCity Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher
and the tragic murder suicidethat left a young mother dead, a
three month old baby girlorphaned, and an entire sports community
questioning everything theythought they knew about player safety.
I need to warn you, thisepisode contains detailed discussions
(00:44):
of domestic violence, suicide,traumatic brain injury and mental
health issues.
Please take care of yourselfand feel free to skip this one if
these topics are triggeringfor you.
Let's start at the end.
Not the beginning of Jovan's life.
We'll get there, but thebeginning of the end.
(01:05):
It's December 1, 2012, a crispSaturday morning in Kansas City,
Missouri.
The kind of morning where yourbreath makes little clouds in the
air and the grass is stillcrunchy with frost.
The sun hasn't been up longand most people are just starting
their weekend.
But for 25 year old JovanBelcher and 22 year old Cassandra
(01:26):
Perkins, this morning would betheir last.
Just before 8am that morning,Joven pulls into the Chief's practice
facility parking lot.
And what happens next stillgives me chills.
Think about this scene.
He steps out of his carholding a handgun to his head.
Chiefs general manager ScottPioli is already there because it's
totally normal for managementto be working on a Saturday before
(01:49):
a game.
But what's not normal?
Finding your startinglinebacker in the parking lot with
a gun to his head.
Scott Pioli and head coachRomeo Krennell are now desperately
trying to talk Jovan down.
Police sirens are wailing inthe distance, getting closer and
closer.
But Jovan, he just keepssaying, I got to go.
I can't be here.
(02:10):
And then he does somethingthat haunts me.
He kneels down beside his car,makes the sign of the cross and pulls
the trigger.
But crime fans, if you thinkthat's tragic, and it absolutely
is, wait until you hear whathappened earlier that morning.
Because this, this wasactually the second act of violence
(02:31):
Jovan committed that day.
Thirty minutes earlier, Jovanpulls up to his home on the 5400
block of Chrysler Avenue inhis black Bentley.
The house is a beautiful twostory building that he bought after
signing his second contractwith the Chiefs.
It should have been a symbolof success, of the American dream.
(02:51):
Instead, it was about tobecome a crime scene.
Now, from the investigation weknow that the night before, both
Jovan and Cassandra had beenout separately.
Cassandra was at a Tres Songsconcert with friends, enjoying a
rare night out since becominga mom.
Jovan was at the Tango SaidCantina, a popular spot in the Power
(03:15):
Amp Light District, with adifferent group of friends.
It should have been normalenough, right?
Just two young parents havingseparate nights out with friends.
But here's where things get complicated.
According to friends who werewith Jovan that night, he'd been
drinking heavily.
One friend later told policethat Jovan had confided in them about
(03:39):
relationship problems, saying things.
When Cassandra got home around1am Jovan wasn't there.
According to cell phonerecords, they exchanged several texts,
some of them argumentative.
Jovan didn't come home untilafter 6:30am meaning he'd been out
for over seven hours.
And here's the thing thatmakes my stomach turn.
(04:00):
Police later discovered thatJoven had spent several hours in
his car outside the apartmentof another woman, a woman he'd been
seeing on the side.
When he finally got home that morning.
Walk witnesses in neighboringhouses reported hearing raised voices.
Staying with Jovan.
And Cassandra was Jovan's mom,Cheryl Shepherd.
(04:20):
She had flown in to help withthe new baby and to give the couple
a chance to work through their problems.
She was there at this time andlater told police she heard them
arguing about relationshipissues, specifically about Cassandra
going out while being a newmom, and about Jovan's late nights
and suspicious behavior.
Then, at 7:50am Gunshotsshattered the morning quiet.
(04:42):
And what investigators woulduncover in the following days would
reveal just how many warningsigns had been missed.
The Kansas City PoliceDepartment processed not one, but
two separate crime scenes that day.
And let me tell you, what theyfound was absolutely chilling.
When Police arrived at 7:52amthey found Cassandra Perkins on the
(05:05):
master bedroom floor.
She had been shot 10 times.
10 times.
Just let that sink in for a moment.
According to the medicalexaminer's report, Cassandra had
gunshot wounds to her chest,neck, abdomen, hip, back and hand.
That hand wound, it was what'scalled a defensive wound, meaning
(05:29):
she had her hand up trying toprotect herself.
I can't even imagine her final moments.
Crime scene Investigatorsspent over 12 hours processing that
bedroom.
They collected 89 pieces of evidence.
Just think about that number.
89 separate pieces of evidencefrom one room.
They found nine shell casingsscattered across the floor.
(05:52):
Multiple blood samples fromdifferent areas, finger and palm
prints from various surfaces,fibers from clothing and carpeting,
hair.
Hair samples, a broken lampthat suggested a struggle.
Several Electronic devices, astack of medical bills, and something
that breaks my heart.
A torn up letter that had tobe pieced back together.
(06:16):
Want to know what makes thiseven more tragic?
That letter, oncereconstructed, turned out to be from
Cassandra.
She was writing about herconcerns over Jovan's changing behavior
and mood swings.
She specifically mentioned himbecoming a different person after
games.
Here's the thing about JovanBelcher that makes this case even
more tragic.
(06:36):
By all accounts, he was thedefinition of a success story.
Let me paint you a picture.
We're talking about a kid whowasn't just on his high school football
team.
He was team captain at WestBabylon High for two seasons.
He led them to two Long islandfootball championships, playoff appearances,
and get this.
(06:57):
Even after he made it big, hekept coming back to give pre game
speeches to inspire the nextgeneration of players.
Then there's his college yearsat the University of Maine.
Sure, he racked up all thefootball accolades you'd expect,
but that's not what stops mein my tracks.
He won an Academic MomentumAward from the National Consortium
(07:18):
for Academics and SportsScholar Baller program.
Think about that.
This wasn't just some jockskating buy on his athletic ability.
He graduated with a degree inChild Development and Family relations.
Even after making it to theNFL, he was still that same community
minded person.
He visited military bases,spent time at elementary schools
(07:41):
promoting NFL youth programs.
On paper, Jovan Belcher wasliving the American dream.
But here's where things get dark.
Crime fans.
After years of youth football,four years of high school ball, four
years in college, and now inhis fourth year as a pro, who was
Joven Belcher really becoming?
(08:01):
Cause the man I'm about totell you about, he's nothing like
the promising young athlete Ijust described.
Here's where the investigationtakes an even darker turn.
When detectives conductedforensic analysis of their cell phones,
they found hundreds of textsbetween Jovan and Cassandra in the
weeks leading up to the traged.
Many were confrontational.
(08:23):
But they also found something else.
Messages between Jovan and atleast three other women.
One of the most disturbingpieces of evidence.
A notebook found in Jovan's car.
The last entry was dated justthree days before the shooting.
It read, and I quote, I can'tget the ringing out of my head.
(08:44):
Something's wrong with me.
I feel like I'm underwater allthe time.
That entry makes my blood run cold.
Especially when you considerwhat we would later learn about the
condition of Jovan's brain.
Let's look into Jovan'srelationship with Cassandra.
We need to go back to whenJovan and Cassandra first met at
(09:04):
a Chiefs team event.
And can I just say, theirearly relationship was like something
out of a movie.
Cassandra was 20 years old andstudying to become an elementary
school teacher.
By all accounts, she wasvivacious, caring, and always smiling.
Jovan was 22 and had justfinished his rookie season with the
Chiefs.
(09:24):
Teammate and running backJamal Charles introduced the couple,
Cassandra being his first cousin.
Friends said Jovan wouldsurprise Cassandra with flowers at
her classes.
He helped her study for exams.
She attended every home gamewearing his number 59 jersey.
Within six months, they movedin together.
(09:44):
When Jovan bought that houseon Chrysler Avenue, they seemed perfect
together.
The successful NFL player andthe ambitious teacher to be.
But we all know how thesestories go, don't we?
Things are rarely what they seem.
The first red flag startedappearing in early 2011.
Friends reported seeingarguments at social events.
(10:05):
And let me tell you about thecontrolling behavior that started
to emerge.
According to multiplewitnesses, Jovan would constantly
check Cassandra's phone, showup unexpectedly when she was out
with friends, control theirfinances, making her ask for money,
isolate her from friends whohe thought were bad influences.
(10:27):
Now we need to talk about whatmight be the most crucial piece of
this tragic puzzle.
The medical findings,specifically about CTE or.
Or chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
And let me tell you, whatresearchers found in Jovan's brain
was nothing short of shocking.
In December 2013, a year afterthe tragedy, Jovan's body was exhumed
(10:51):
from a cemetery in LongIsland, New York.
His family had givenpermission for his brain to be studied
by researchers at BostonUniversity's center for the Study
of Traumatic Encephalopathy.
The examination was led by Dr.
Bennett Omalu.
Yes, the same Dr.
Will Smith portrayed in themovie Concussion.
(11:11):
What they found, it stillgives me chills.
Jovan had the brain of a 70year old man with Alzheimer's disease.
He was 25 years old.
Just let that sink in for a moment.
The damage was extensive.
They found tau proteinbuildups throughout his brain.
That's the signature marker of cte.
(11:32):
These proteins literallystrangle brain cells.
The areas most affected werehis frontal lobe, which controls
judgment and impulse control.
His temporal lobe, which dealswith memory and emotional responses,
and his parietal lobe, whichhelps with spatial orientation.
But here's what makes thiscase particularly significant.
(11:54):
Most CTE studies had been doneon much older players with longer
careers.
Jovan was just 25, and he'donly played three full seasons in
the NFL.
But get this.
Researchers estimated he'dsustained more than 11,000 head impacts
during his football career,starting from when he began playing
at age 9.
(12:15):
Think about that number.
11,000 impacts to the head,each one potentially contributing
to the deterioration of his brain.
The Jovan Belcher case becamea watershed moment for the NFL, forcing
the league to confront issuesthey'd been reluctant to address.
And the changes that cameafter this tragedy, they were massive.
(12:37):
In 2013, the NFL implementedwhat they called the NFL Lifeline,
a 247 crisis hotlinespecifically for current and former
NFL players, coaches, andfamily members.
But that was just the beginning.
In 2014, they completelyoverhauled their mental health protocols.
(12:58):
Every team was now required tohave a licensed mental health professional,
either a psychologist orpsychiatrist, as an in house counselor.
But perhaps the biggestchanges came in their domestic violence
policies.
And would you believe this?
Before this case, the NFL hadno specific policy for domestic violence
(13:19):
incidents.
None.
In 2014.
It's almost unthinkable.
Today, Zoe, who was just threemonths old when she lost both her
parents, is being raised byher mother's cousin in Texas.
The NFL's collectivebargaining agreement ensures she'll
be financially supportedthrough college.
But nothing can replace theparent she lost that day.
(13:42):
Let me tell you something thatkeeps me up at night.
When I think about this case,The NFL of 2009, when Jovan started
his career, it's almostunrecognizable compared to the league
today in 2024, every singlepractice, every single game, there
are dedicated medicalprofessionals whose only job is to
(14:04):
watch for potential head injuries.
They're called unaffiliatedneurotrauma consultants.
That's right.
They're not even employed bythe teams because the NFL wants them
to be completely independent.
And get this, players todayhave access to something called a
guardian cap.
It's this extra protectivelayer that goes around their helmets,
(14:25):
reducing the impact force ofhits by up to 33%.
Think about that.
One third less force goingstraight to your brain.
But Jovan, he never had that option.
Today, if a player takes ahard hit, they're immediately pulled
from the game.
They have to go through astandardized concussion evaluation.
And here's the crucial part.
(14:46):
It doesn't matter if it's thesuper bowl or a preseason game.
They cannot go back in untilthey're cleared by independent doctors.
But you know what reallyhaunts me about all this?
In Jovan's day, players wouldroutinely go right back into games
after taking massive hits.
They called it getting yourbell rung, like it was just some
(15:07):
normal part of the game.
There were no guardian caps,no independent neurologists on the
sidelines, no standardized protocols.
And here's the thing thatreally gets to me, crime fans.
If Jovan had started hiscareer in 2024 instead of 2009, would
all those 11,000 hits to hishead have been less devastating?
(15:29):
Would someone have noticed thechanges in his behavior sooner?
Would Cassandra still be alive?
We'll never know for sure.
But what we do know is thatevery single one of those hits was
slowly changing who Jovan was,one impact at a time.
This case isn't just a truecrime story.
(15:50):
It's a cautionary tale aboutthe intersection of mental health,
professional sports, traumaticbrain injury and domestic violence.
It's a reminder that sometimesthe warning signs are there, but
we don't know how to read them.
Or worse, we choose to ignore them.
If you or someone you know isstruggling with thoughts of suicide,
please call the NationalSuicide prevention lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.
(16:16):
If you're experiencingdomestic violence, the National Domestic
Violence hotline is available 24.
7 at 1-800-799-SAFE.
And please, crime fans, if yousee someone struggling, whether it's
with mental health,relationship issues or substance
(16:37):
abuse, don't wait to reach out.
Sometimes just letting someoneknow you care can make all the difference.
Be safe, be smart.
Don't be a stranger.
And remember, if you thinksomething's wrong, trust your gut
and speak up.
It could save a life.
Stay safe, stay passionate,and don't let anyone dim your love
(16:59):
of the game.
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