Long, who committed suicide by drinking antifreeze, was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
In the note, Tamura claims to have suffered from CTE himself, a traumatic brain condition commonly associated with football, and blamed the NFL for hiding the seriousness of the disease to maintain profits.
“Terry Long football gave me CTE and it caused me to drink a gallon of antifreeze,” the note reportedly stated.
“You can’t go against the NFL, they’ll squash you.”
The note continued, “Please study brain for CTE. I’m sorry. The league knowingly concealed the dangers to our brains to maximize profits. They failed us.”
Terry Long played for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1984 to 1991.
In June of 2005, the then-45-year-old Long committed suicide by drinking antifreeze. A post-mortem examination of Long’s brain revealed that he had CTE.
Offensive lineman Terry Long #74 of the Pittsburgh Steelers talks with offensive line coach Hal Hunter (R) on the sideline during a game against the San Francisco 49ers at Three Rivers Stadium on September 13, 1987, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
Long told police in 1991, the same year he was suspended by the league for steroid abuse, that he had attempted to commit suicide by swallowing “two or three sleeping pills.”
According to the Daily Mail, “In March of 2005, he was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges he fraudulently obtained loans for a chicken-processing plant, which prosecutors allege he burned to the ground in September 2003 for the insurance money.
“He was arrested in late March that year and released on $10,000 bond.
“Furthermore, he reportedly was struggling with personal issues, too. At the time he died, Long’s neighbor said he was separated from his second wife and was depressed about that as well as the federal charges he faced.”
For Tamura’s part, he played football at the high school level and had a long history of mental health issues, according to police.
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