Had it not been for the way that his life ended, former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Justin Strzelczyk almost assuredly would not be nearly as well-known today as he is, such that he is remembered at all casually. His life is primarily discussed in the context of his death.
Strzelczyk, who played for the Steelers all throughout the 1990s, starting 75 of 133 career games, was among the first players to have been diagnosed, post-mortem, to have suffered from CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
Since his death, his ex-wife, Keana McMahan, has become an outspoken advocate for the advancement of the study of CTE, a passion engendered in her from years of watching the mind of Strzelczyk deteriorate over time and seeing how it affects those around the sufferer as well.