Wayne Walker was the sports director at San Francisco Bay Area CBS-owned station KPIX from 1974 until 1994. He also played in the NFL for over 15 seasons.
The former Detroit Lions linebacker now tells KPIX, “Well, five years ago, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, which is a result of multiple concussions when I played.”
“I would get up after a lot of plays, after a collision of some sort – usually with your head – and I would look like I was looking through a frosted glass for a while,” said Wayne.
By his count, Wayne had at least 20 concussions over the 200 games he played, and was knocked out cold twice.
“I got knocked out totally and went back in the same game,” said Wayne.
He said his medical expenses are now covered in part by the NFL’s “88 Plan.” The plan was named after former Baltimore Colts Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey and was founded in 2005. Mackey, died in 2011 at the age of 69, suffered from dementia for years.