Former NFL champion Roger Shoals died at age 86 due to complications from pneumonia. His obituary reported that he “passed away peacefully surrounded by family.” The Cleveland Browns drafted Shoals in the 16th round of the NFL Draft in 1961, and the Baltimore native went on to play nine seasons in the league. Shoals helped lead the Browns to the NFL championship in 1964, starting at left tackle. During that championship run with the Browns, he blocked for future Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, who broke the single-season rushing record with 1,863 yards. The game took a toll on Shoals’ health, however, with the lineman suffering long-term back and shoulder pain. Shoals’ family has decided to donate his brain to Boston University’s research center on chronic traumatic encephalopathy—the degenerative brain condition that researchers have documented in the brains of over 300 former pro football players. CTE can only be confirmed after death, but Shoals was part of a 2013 lawsuit against the NFL that resulted in a $765 million settlement with hundreds of former players who suffered head trauma while playing. His family requested that donations to the BU CTE Center be made in Shoals’ memory.
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