Mike Webster facts for kids

Michael Lewis Webster (born March 18, 1952 – died September 24, 2002) was an American football player. He played as a center in the National Football League (NFL). He played from 1974 to 1990 for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs.

Webster is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 1997. People called him "Iron Mike" because he was very strong. He was a key player for the Steelers' offense. He helped them win four Super Bowls between 1974 and 1979. Many people think he was the best center in NFL history.

Webster passed away in 2002 at age 50 from a heart attack. After his death, he became the first former NFL player to be diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This is a brain disease. Since then, he has become a symbol for head injuries in the NFL. His story highlights the discussion about player safety in football. Doctors believed that many concussions during his career damaged his brain. This caused problems with his thinking.

Early Life and High School Football

Webster was born in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, on March 18, 1952. He was the second of six children. He grew up on a large potato farm near Harshaw, Wisconsin. As a child, Webster looked up to Green Bay Packers player Jim Taylor.

Webster went to Rhinelander High School. He was very good at wrestling. He started playing football in his junior year. This was because he had many duties on his family's farm. Even though he started late, he quickly became a leader on the offensive line. He earned a football scholarship. After graduating in 1969, Webster decided to go to the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

College Football Career

Webster played college football at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He was seen as the best center in the Big Ten for most of his time there. His strong play in college helped him get noticed by professional teams.

Professional Football Career

Pittsburgh Steelers Years

Webster was 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighed 255 pounds. The Pittsburgh Steelers picked him in the fifth round of the 1974 NFL Draft. For two years, he was a backup player. He learned a lot from veteran center Ray Mansfield.

In 1976, Webster became the Steelers' starting center. He played in 150 games in a row. He was the Steelers' offensive captain for nine years. This streak ended in 1986 when he dislocated his elbow. He missed four games that season.

Webster and quarterback Terry Bradshaw were a famous pair. They helped the Steelers win four Super Bowls: IX, X, XIII, and XIV. Webster was named an All-Pro seven times. He also played in the Pro Bowl nine times.

Webster was known for lifting weights a lot. He often played with bare arms. This stopped opponents from grabbing his sleeves. He is one of the most famous centers for the Steelers. From 1964 to 2020, only five players started at center for the team. These were Mansfield, Webster, Dermontti Dawson, Jeff Hartings, and Maurkice Pouncey. In his last year in Pittsburgh, Webster helped mentor rookie Dawson.

Kansas City Chiefs Years

After the 1988 season, Webster became a free agent. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs first wanted him to be an offensive line coach. But they soon let him return as their starting center.

Retirement and Lasting Impact

Webster played two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. He announced his retirement on March 11, 1991. He had a 17-year career. He played a total of 245 games as a center.

When he retired, he was the last active player in the NFL. He had played on all four of the Steelers' Super Bowl winning teams from the 1970s. He had also played more seasons as a Steeler than anyone else. He played 15 seasons. Ben Roethlisberger later tied this record in 2018 and broke it in 2019.

The Steelers do not officially retire jersey numbers anymore. However, Webster's No. 52 has not been given to another player. This shows how important he was to the team. In 1999, The Sporting News ranked him number 75 on their list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. The football stadium at Rhinelander High School, his old school, is named Mike Webster Stadium in his honor. Webster was also added to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.

Health Challenges After Football

After retiring from the NFL, Mike Webster faced many health problems. He experienced amnesia, dementia, and depression. He also had severe bone and muscle pain. He sometimes lived in his pickup truck or at train stations. This was even though friends and former teammates offered to help him.

In his final years, Webster lived with his youngest son, Garrett. Garrett, who was a teenager, moved to Pittsburgh to care for his father. Webster passed away in 2002 from a heart attack at age 50. He was cremated. His ashes were given to his family.

Understanding His Illness

After his death, doctors diagnosed Webster with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This is a brain disease. Webster was the first former NFL player to be diagnosed with CTE. Dr. Bennet Omalu, a brain doctor, studied Webster's brain tissue. He found brain damage similar to what is seen in people with Alzheimer's disease or dementia. This damage was also seen in some retired boxers.

At first, the NFL did not pay much attention to Dr. Omalu's findings. But this changed when another NFL player, Chris Henry, was diagnosed with CTE after his death in 2009. Webster's son, Garrett, now works to help others. He is part of the Brain Injury Research Institute in Pittsburgh. This group encourages people with head trauma to donate their brains for study. They also support players with conditions like his father had.

Many believe Webster's health problems came from the hits he took during his career. Some doctors said he had been in the equivalent of "25,000 automobile crashes." This was from over 25 years of playing football. His wife, Pamela, later said she felt guilty about his personality changes. But she understood more after learning about the CTE diagnosis. Webster played when protective gear, especially helmets, was not as good. Head injuries were often just seen as part of the game.

Webster was nicknamed "Iron Mike" because he was so tough. He would play even when he was injured. His struggles with mental illness due to CTE were shown in the 2015 film Concussion. David Morse played Webster in the movie. Will Smith played Dr. Bennet Omalu.

Disability Benefits Lawsuit

After Webster's death, his family filed a lawsuit. They argued that Webster was disabled when he retired from the NFL. They believed he was owed disability payments. In 2005, a judge ruled that the NFL's retirement plan owed Webster's family money. This amount was over $1.1 million. With interest, it grew to more than $1.6 million. The NFL appealed this decision. However, in 2006, a higher court upheld the ruling. They agreed that the NFL's plan must pay benefits to players whose disabilities started during their playing careers.