BOSTON—Taking an important step forward in understanding the long-term damage caused by being tackled and spiked, NFL scientists studied the effects of CTE Tuesday by dissecting the brain of a pro football. “This football was subject to only one season in the NFL, but its brain is already showing signs of significant cognitive decline,” said lead surgeon Lisa Cantwell, who revealed that the damage to the football’s frontal lobes from repeatedly being slammed into the turf by running backs and wide receivers had severely impaired its memory and emotional stability. “We’ve seen the effects of CTE on footballs, whether it been depression or even suicide, but we are still a long way from understanding exactly why this happens. By donating their brains like this, footballs who have played in the NFL do a great service and help protect the health of the next generation of pigskins.” At press time, Cantwell was suggesting the NFL implement a league-wide helmet rule for footballs.