A Peaceful Night, Then Gunfire
On a quiet evening in Rock Hill, South Carolina, the Norwood family had no idea their lives were about to be shattered by a stranger with a failing brain. Phillip Adams, a former NFL cornerback with a decade-long career across six teams, walked onto their property and opened fire—killing Dr. Robert Lesslie, his wife Barbara, and two young grandchildren. A fifth victim, a HVAC technician working nearby, also died. At first, no one understood why .
The Hidden Diagnosis: Severe CTE
Months later, a neuropathology exam revealed the truth: Adams suffered from Stage 2 Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)—a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma. His brain showed classic signs: tau protein clumps around blood vessels, mood dysregulation centers damaged, and frontal lobe deterioration consistent with impulse control loss .
From NFL Star to Tragic Figure
Adams played 78 NFL games between 2010 and 2018 for teams including the 49ers, Patriots, and Falcons. Teammates described him as quiet, kind, and deeply religious. But after retirement, his behavior grew erratic—paranoid, aggressive, and withdrawn. He’d been evicted from his home, lived in his car, and told friends, “My head won’t stop hurting.”
CTE in Former NFL Players: The Alarming Data
| Statistic | Figure |
|---|---|
| Former NFL players diagnosed with CTE (Boston University study) | 345 of 376 (91.7%) |
| Average NFL career length of CTE-diagnosed players | 6.4 years |
| Common CTE symptoms | Depression, paranoia, memory loss, violent outbursts |
| CTE can only be diagnosed | Postmortem (after death) |
The Norwood Family’s Aftermath
Surviving family members describe a haunting grief—not just for the lives lost, but for the randomness of the violence. “We didn’t know him. He didn’t know us,” said one relative. “It was like a storm that came out of nowhere.”
Yet as details of Adams’s mental decline emerged, their anger began to mix with sorrow—for him, too. “He was a victim of the game he loved,” said another family member, who now advocates for better brain health protocols in contact sports.
What Is CTE?
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is caused by repeated blows to the head, common in football, boxing, and military combat. Over time, abnormal tau proteins build up, killing brain cells and disrupting emotional regulation, judgment, and behavior. There is no cure—and no way to diagnose it in living patients .
A Growing Crisis in Contact Sports
The NFL has paid over $1.5 billion in concussion-related settlements but still faces criticism for downplaying long-term risks. Youth leagues across the U.S. are seeing declining participation, and some states now ban tackle football for children under 12.
“Phillip Adams didn’t choose this,” said Dr. Ann McKee, the Boston University neuropathologist who examined his brain. “But the system that glorifies violence on the field and abandons players afterward did.”
Legacy and Lessons
In memory of the Norwood family, lawmakers in South Carolina are drafting “Lesslie’s Law”—a bill to fund CTE research and expand mental health screening for retired athletes. Meanwhile, Adams’s family has donated his brain to science, hoping his tragedy might prevent others.
