In 1986, Dexter Manley collapsed in a department store and was rushed to the hospital. While there, doctors gave him some scary news –– there was a cyst located on his brain. Despite neurologists suggesting surgery in the future to remove it, the football player wasn’t too eager. “I wanted to play football,” he explained in a 2015 interview to SB Nation. “Brain surgery? I didn’t think about it. I was always bigger, faster, stronger than most of my colleagues. I just didn’t want to face that. So I ignored it.” As Manley went on with his life, the cyst began to grow.
In 2005, Manley had a drug relapse, and police found him wandering the streets of D.C. His behavior alarmed them, so they decided to bring him to the hospital for evaluation. Manley’s scans revealed the cyst on his brain had grown to the size of a quarter. In 2006, he underwent two successful brain surgeries to remove the cyst. The surgery didn’t just save his life; it helped him maintain his sobriety too. According to doctors, the cyst was located in the part of the brain that’s associated with impulse control.
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In 2012, Manley joined other former NFL players and sued the league for their negligence on concussions. “I had a 12 and a half hour brain surgery in 2006, and I’m recovering … and that’s related to football,” Manley explained to The Washington Times.
