Homicidal Violence Among National Football League Athletes

Given the concerns regarding chronic traumatic encephalopathy and its potential association with violent behavior in football players, we investigated the rates of deaths and arrests related to homicide among the National Football League (NFL) population. In order to accomplish this, we performed a retrospective analysis of the 27 155 individuals who had played, or are currently playing, professional football since its inception in 1920. The number of observed homicides in this cohort was compared to the number of expected homicides using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention annual tables. Information regarding player cause of death was obtained from web-based sources. We identified 17 (0.27%) homicides among the 6356 NFL player deaths. The average age of individuals dying as the result of homicide was 31.4 years (range 24-50 years). Gunshot wound was the leading cause of death. The standardized mortality ratio for death by homicide was historically below 5%. As compared to the general US population, there were about 70% fewer deaths by homicide in the NFL population than would be expected. Our study also found only 0.04% of the NFL player population has ever been the focus of a homicide investigation, with only 0.02% of the NFL player population having been convicted. Our findings suggest homicidal violence among NFL players is rare, as NFL players have substantially lower rates of dying and being arrested as a consequence of homicidal violence compared to the general US population.