Kostadinos Alexander "Kosta" Karageorge (July 10, 1992 – November 30, 2014) was an American football player and collegiate wrestler at Ohio State University. Karageorge's death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound led to a controversy over undiagnosed concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy in athletes. Karageorge's initial autopsy showed no signs of CTE, but a later autopsy produced conflicting results.

Early life

Karageorge was born on July 10, 1992, in Columbus, Ohio, to Greek-American parents. He grew up in the Greek Orthodox tradition.[1] Karageorge became an All-American at Junior Nationals for Team Ohio and placed 6th in the state tournament his senior year of high school.

Collegiate career

Karageorge initially attended the University of Oklahoma, where he was a wrestler.[2][3] After transferring to Ohio State, he continued wrestling and was a walk-on to the football team for the 2014 season.[4] Karageorge mostly played nose tackle in practice, and played in one game, against Penn State, recording one assisted tackle.[5]

Death and CTE controversy

In November 2014, he was reported missing by his mother after she and other family and friends had received distressing text messages and social media posts by Karageorge concerning his headaches around his recent concussion. He proceeded to miss upcoming football practices and finally the Ohio State game against rival University of Michigan, raising concerns about his welfare.[6] Following a dispute with his girlfriend on November 30, 2014, Karageorge climbed in a dumpster near his apartment and shot himself.[7]

After Karageorge's death, his initial autopsy done in consultation with an Ohio State pathologist reported that there were no initial signs of CTE.[8] His family then sent his brain to a facility in Massachusetts that handles brains of veterans and sports athletes, checking for chronic traumatic encephalopathy. As an athlete, he experienced 15 reported concussions; however, he is suspected of having experienced many more than 15, especially considering his history of concussions before college.[6] An examination by Dr. Ann McKee, a Boston University neuropathologist at the BU Brain Bank, conflicted with the original autopsy findings, diagnosing Karageorge with stage one CTE, though she qualified her diagnosis by stating that it was "impossible to definitively link his suicide to any brain trauma he had sustained in sports."[7]

Karageorge was remembered by the student body in a candlelight vigil, which took place on Ohio State University's Oval, next to a statue of university president William Oxley Thompson, where remembrance ceremonies are traditionally held by the student body.[9] Students gathered there in the evening of November 30, 2014, after he was found. Ohio State University football team members served as Karageorge's pallbearers and included his jersey number (#53) as a helmet sticker in the game against Wisconsin.[10][11][12]

References

  1. ↑ "Kostadinos Alexander Karageorge 1992 – 2014 Obituary". Cardaras Funeral Home. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Thomas' Karageorge signs with Oklahoma". ThisWeek Community News. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  3. ↑ Thamel, Pete (December 5, 2014). "Complex portrait of Ohio St.'s Kosta Karageorge emerges after death". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Kosta Karageorge". Department of Athletics Buckeye Football. Ohio State University. Archived from the original on April 2, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Kosta Karageorge College Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Ohio State's Kosta Karageorge: complex portrait emerges after death - Sports Illustrated". www.si.com. December 5, 2014. Retrieved October 14, 2020. Karageorge may have taken toughness too far, as teammate Michael Bennett said on a recent Big Ten conference call that Karageorge had concussions he didn't report. He called Karageoge "the toughest guy" he had ever met. "We knew he had a lot of concussions," Bennett said. "But you never knew he was depressed or anything like that."
  7. 1 2 Rohan, Tim (June 22, 2016). "A Young Athlete's World of Pain and Where it Led". New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  8. ↑ Lesmerises, Doug; clevel; .com (March 7, 2015). "Ohio State football defensive lineman Kosta Karageorge did not have CTE, according to coroner's report". cleveland. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  9. ↑ Etchison, Amanda (November 30, 2014). "Missing football player found dead, remembered for his passion". The Lantern. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  10. ↑ Slover, Ray (December 4, 2014). "Ohio State players carry Kosta Karageorge memories into Big Ten title game". Sporting News.
  11. ↑ Maks, Patrick (December 3, 2014). "REPORT: OHIO STATE WILL HONOR KOSTA KARAGEORGE WITH NO. 53 HELMET STICKER SATURDAY". Eleven Warriors.
  12. ↑ Miller, Rusty (December 3, 2014). "Mourners gather for Ohio St athlete's funeral". Associated Press.
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