Former NFL star, CBS anchor Irv Cross had brain disease CTE

Irv Cross was a man of faith and a devout football fan who could no longer attend Bible study or watch NFL games with friends in his final years. The degenerative brain disease that festered inside the former Philadelphia Eagles cornerback had triggered depression, mood swings and the type of memory loss that forced him into isolation.

"He really didn't want to be with people," said his widow, Liz Cross. "The only person he wanted to be with was me. When he was with me, he really didn't want to be with me. He just wanted me to be there."

Irv Cross, the former NFL defensive back who became the first Black man to work full-time as a sports analyst on national television, is the latest football player diagnosed with the brain disease CTE. Irv Cross, who was 81 when he died Feb. 28, 2021, suffered from stage 4 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Boston University researchers said Tuesday.