New York Giants star Cam Skattebo comes under fire after controversially claiming brain disease ‘isn’t real’
New York Giants star Cam Skattebo sparked fury with his controversial takes on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and asthma.
The running back, who is entering his second season in the NFL, is no stranger to making headlines with his off-field antics. However, he managed to really rock the boat when he appeared on the ‘Bring The Juice’ podcast earlier this month.
The 24-year-old shockingly branded CTE – a brain disease known to affect a high number of former football players – an ‘excuse.’
Podcast host Frank Dalena asked the second-year NFL player if he believed the disease was real, to which Skattebo offered a blunt response.
‘No, (CTE) is an excuse,’ Skattebo said.
But Skattebo didn’t stop there. The California native went on to dismiss the medical reality of asthma.
New York Giants star Cam Skattebo controversially claimed that CTE is not real
The running back, who is entering his second season, is no stranger to making headlines
‘I think asthma is an excuse too,’ Dalena offered, which Skattebo agreed was ‘valid.’
‘That’s a good take,’ Skattebo replied. ‘Asthma is fake.’
‘Is there anything worse than when you’re in fourth grade and someone is huffing and puffing?’ Dalena questioned. ‘They’re just soft.’
‘Yeah, literally just breathe air,’ Skattebo bluntly added.
Skattebo’s comment stirred controversy online as many football fans hit out at the running back for spreading the controversial opinion.
‘WTF brain damage and lung issues aren’t excuses lmao,’ one social media user wrote, replying to a clip of the interview.
‘Come on @camskattebo5 please be careful,’ another urged. ‘You play so hard though! Mad respect. Fun to watch you.’
‘Great take…. I’m sure that’s not the CTE talking…,’ another sarcastically said, seemingly implying that Skattebo could already be suffering from the disease.
The 24-year-old is pictured with his girlfriend Chloe Rodriguez at the Madden Bowl
Skattebo’s rookie season came to an early end when he suffered an ankle injury in October
‘I almost lost my best friend to asthma. Hilarious man,’ one offended fan hit out.
‘These guys don’t go to school for the education,’ chimed in another, referring to football players.
CTE is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma, such as concussions or sub-concussive blows.
It has come under great scrutiny within the football community, including the NFL, in recent years with many former players being diagnosed posthumously with the disease.
Furthermore, there have been concerns that the disease could be linked to the suicide rates among former NFL players.
Published in the Journal of Neurotrauma, the Football Players Study at Harvard University tracked deaths among NFL, MLB and NBA alumni over a 40-year period beginning in 1979. Over that time, there were 101 reported suicides among former athletes from those leagues, but it’s the NFL that is disproportionately represented over the final decade.
According to researchers, the suicide rate of ex-NFL players was 2.6 times higher than ex-NBA and MLB players. Those former NFL stars include legendary San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau, ex-Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson and the Atlanta Falcons’ Ray Easterling, all of whom were posthumously diagnosed with the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
But study co-author Rachel Grashow did not point to head trauma as the lone potential factor in the findings. Rather, she believes there are a number of causes that need to be studied at greater length. She also referred to a 2024 study that found a third of former NFL players battle health issues such as low testosterone, depression, and sleep apnea.
Skattebo is pictured performing a backflip to celebrate scoring a touchdown last season
Earlier this month, NFL star Emeka Egbuka was forced to speak out after a social media account pretending to be him shared a controversial post about CTE.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver found himself at the center of a storm when an X account claiming to be him controversially questioned ‘Is CTE even real?’
The post, shared by the handle @EgbukaEmeka, sparked backlash among NFL fans, prompting both the Buccaneers and Egbuka to address the situation.
Egbuka posted a statement on his actual Instagram account, clarifying that the X account was not affiliated with him in any way.
