the invisible head injuries causing widespread concern in the nfl. and tonight, growing concerns at high school and pee wee players could be at risk. the hidden danger that even helmets can't prevent. >>> plus, we meet three pals who hit the open road, crossing four continents and 50 countries, all in a world record taxi ride. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden, and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," may 24th, 2012. >> good evening, i'm terry moran. 33 years ago tomorrow, 6-year-old etan patz vanished while walking to the school bus. for decades, the search for etan and whomever abducted him was never put to rest and it helped ignite the national movement to find missing children. well, tonight, a major break in this case, as police announce that has confessed to his murder. finally, it seems, his long suffering family may find justice. here's abc's david muir. >> reporter: tonight, nearly 33 years after that little boy, 6-year-old etan patz, disappeared on the walk to his school bus,

this comes as players sue the nfl.rrors that of dave duerson last year who shot himself in the chest requesting that his brain be studied by scientists to see what pro football had done to them. dave duerson is one of many players who has been diagnosed with a brain disease called cte. joining me now is dr. julian bailes, a former nfl team physician and director of the brain injury research institute. thank you to both of you. this is obviously just such a horrifying series of incidents. it brings to a head quite literally what has been an issue for a long time. do you think the nfl has known for years that this sort of impact on the brain can cause this sort of emotional crisis leading to suicide. >> one of dr. bale's colleagues discovered or he was the first doctor, the first scientist to link repeated blows to the head to cte, and the nfl shot him down for a long time. they asked the pier review journal retract the article. i think they did a lot of back spin on this for a long time. >> what is the nfl afraid of why

but the associated press polled 44 nfl players. and half of them say they try to conceal a concussion so they can play. and also, rob, seau's official stats, rather unbelievably, after 20 seasons, do not list a single concussion. >> that's amazing, considering how many years he played and how many tackles during that time. tahman bradley, thanks for that report. as you can imagine thousands of sports figures and fans are mourning seau on twitter. john elway tweeted, quote, junior was a true xheter and special player. and skateboarding legend, tony hawk, said this. you were an inspiration for turning success into a greater good. thank you for making san diego a better place for youth. of course, we'll have much more on this story coming up later today on "gma." >>> in arizona, a white supremacist is reportedly behind a deadly shooting rampage in suburban phoenix. local media have identified the gunman has jason j.t. ready. they say he committed suicide after killing four people, including a toddler. the shooting 12e78 stemmed from a

what do you think the nfl needs to do? >> the nfl somewhat speaks out of both sides of its mouth. down hard on the hell met-to-helmet hits but it wants to expand to 18 games. that would be disas perrous for the players. have you seen rugby played. the tournament is in philadelphia. it's a contact sport, brutal. but no one's allowed to go at the head. no one is allowed to go at the head and there are zero brain injuries. if the nfl wanted to do it, heads off limits. >> there was an interesting coincidence yesterday. i'm at my desk reading about the nfl bans on players who participated in the scandal. what you see is the nfl is taking all of the fun out of the sport, i can't believe this, we're not children. literally, as i'm reading that story the headline comes across and there is silence. on the one hand the nfl is trying to act for people who are competitive, violent, want to win now. so it's trying to take care of them in some ways, in another you see the depth of the problem. for me this is roger goodell's number one issue. >> rugby is a contact sport. those guys hit like noth

do you believe that the nfl is hiding a deep, dark secret here?ldo, i don't know -- i can't say one way or the other on that. it can be hard to diagnose a concussion. the player has to tell the coach something has happened. the majority of concussions don't involve a loss of consciousness. there can be an alteration of consciousness. if the player doesn't report that then of course the coach doesn't know, no one knows. >> can you give me one minute. i hate to do this, doctor. can you give me one minute to give us a track from concussion to suicide? >> a concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury. when there's a concussion it will be due to a force that occurs where the brain is shaken or it can be due to a rotation of the brain. it doesn't have to be an impact or a hit. very much like shaken baby syndrome. this causes damage to the brain and the front part of the brain is differentially vulnerable. that is important for one reason. the front part of the brain deals with judgment, inhibiting responses, not being impulsive. if that area is damaged

like 19 seasons in the nfl.layed for the dolphins, the chargers, the patriots. very, very sad day for i'm sure many of his colleagues within the league. in fact want to bring in mark mcmillion who i understand, mark, you were friends? just to be clear, junior has passed away reported lly by suicide. i'm sure this is tough to hear for you. >> yes, like i said, i'm still getting texts and phone calls from guys from around the league. so with all the stuff that's coming in, like i said, it's a shocker. this is a long list of guys that continuing to go down this path. i lost another dear friend years ago to a suicide, as well. so it's a tough blow and it's just another wake-up call for the nfl to figure out some ways to help out guys that built this league and made it the league that it is and make sure these guys have care for once they're done playing. >> help me understand, and as we continue our conversation, i understand there are live pictures now outside of junior seau's home in oceanside. wow, you can see i'

>> i want to give you what the nfl has said about this. the nfl has issued a statement. "the nfl has long made player safety a priority and continues to do so. any allegation that the nfl intentionally sought to mislead players has no merit. it stands in contrast to the league's alaskas to better protect players and advance the science and medical understanding of the management and treatment of concussions." matthew, when you go to court that's -- the nfl is going to say what they've said. what are you going to say? you know, if leroye roy and others can't entirely defend what, you know, why they're experiencing what they're experiencing, how do you make the case in court? >> well, first and foremost any individual plaintiff is not capable of linking the cause of their injury. that has to come from a medical professional. and fortunately, there are neurologists all over the country. there are several in dallas that are doing intense study on retired football players' brain function. the doctors at boston university neuroscience department have done a fantastic job of re

it was a very tactical move. >> the nfl, you know, says this in a statement, claiming that the nfl findings are corroborated by multiple independent witnesses and he says that indeed, we have not yet reviewed the filing. however, our commitment to player safety and the integrity of the game is our main consideration. so something tells me -- oh, and there's more. we recognize that noneveryone will agree with the decisions that need to be made. we'll see where it goes on both sides. let's talk about another interesting case in oregon involving a church and a church member. and apparently, the church member was a stay-at-home mom, went on a blog and talked about the many reasons why she felt alienated and why she was being mistreated by the church, and the church doesn't carry on in, in her view, a christian kind of manner. now the church says, oh, really? we're going to sue you for making such public comments on a public domain, and avery, where might this go? does this mean that you can't say anything negative about a institution like a church? on a website, no less? >> the pastor there was

the players are suing the nfl and helmet miker rydell. they claim the league did not institute policies to help protect players from concussions. the suit says players who suffered head injuries were told by the nfl and its agents not to be concerned and were returned to game action minutes after injuries. the lawsuit cites nfl commissioner roger goodell's public admission in 2007 and the league had been studying the effect of traumatic brain injuries for close to 14 years. but the suit claims it wasn't until june of 2010 the league acknowledged concussions can lead to dementia and memory loss. monk said he suffers from short-term memory loss, headaches, and speech difficulties. he's one of 150 ex-redskins involved in similar lawsuits. the nfl has said any allegation that the league intentionally sought to mislead players is without merit. these seem to be coming out of the woodwork more and more la lately, especially with the suicide of junior seau. this is becoming much more common. >> thanks, dan. >> you're welcome. >>> a permanent tri

nfl football is only a part of it. why are, you know, 12-year-old kids playing full contact football? i didn't playful contact football until i got to high school. there is a lot more we need to study. the long-term effects of kids that don't get to play nfl football and what is their effects later in life even if you played at high school level or played in college and weren't drafted. jon: you're not one of those who is pointing the finger at the nfl, saying concussions, brain injury are at the root of the problem here? >> no, not just at the nfl you can point the finger in football in general because if anybody thinks is the nfl is only place where a football player gets concussions you're sadly mistaken. the game of football is game of football. all the nfl does is expands how long a person plays football. it doesn't change the game. i will tell you this, over the last couple years, even the last 10 years the evolution of what the helmets look like and how the helmets react and every year during training camp our e

. >>> a beloved nfl star apparently took his own life today. the death of junior seau is being investigated as a suicide. the 43-year-old former san diego charger line backer was found dead this morning by his girl friend in his beach front home in san diego county. he had a single gunshot wound to the chest. his grief-stricken mother said today that he seemed perfectly fine the last few days. >> i don't understand who do this to my son, but i pray to god, please, take me. take me, leave my son, but it's too late. it's too late. >> seau retired in 2009 after 20 seasons in the nfl, most with the chargers. the 12-time pro bowler is considered one of the greatest line backers in nfl history. 49ers head coach jim harbough played with seau in san diego and said, quote, i along with the entire nfl family, the san diego community and those who shared a life with junior grieve the loss of the ultimate friend. >> the suicide is raising questions about the mental health of nfl players who often suffer multiple concussions and repeated head trauma. even i

. >>> a beloved nfl star apparently took his own life today. the death of junior seau is being investigated as a suicide. the 43-year-old former san diego charger line backer was found dead this morning by his girl friend in his beach front home in san diego county. he had a single gunshot wound to the chest. his grief-stricken mother said today that he seemed perfectly fine the last few days. >> i don't understand who do this to my son, but i pray to god, please, take me. take me, leave my son, but it's too late. it's too late. >> seau retired in 2009 after 20 seasons in the nfl, most with the chargers. the 12-time pro bowler is considered one of the greatest line backers in nfl history. 49ers head coach jim harbough played with seau in san diego and said, quote, i along with the entire nfl family, the san diego community and those who shared a life with junior grieve the loss of the ultimate friend. >> the suicide is raising questions about the mental health of nfl players who often suffer multiple concussions and repeated head trauma. even i

and the nfl is 114 -- 114 nfl players are filing the lawsuit today talking about concussions in the nfl of its players. >> there is a renewed emphasis about protecting players. you see the fines and suspensions and what took place with the saints scandal. it was a different culture when junior seau got into the nfl. >> would you be shocked if seau had an injury to his brain? >> no, because of the way he played football. i fully expect the way i played the game that i will have some issues down the line. you know, i fully expect these things to happen. if you play the game a certain way, you played it with a certain energy. junior seau. you talk about a guy who attacked on the football field and was excited and got people fired up. the way he did everything was 110%. even with respect giving back to the community and his family. the people that he looked out for. he did everything to the greatest and highest extent you could possibly do it. if that meant in certain instances, i'm banged up and i don't want to save this, i'll get out and play. or with the doctors. the game has changed. th

in the nfl. he remains the only linebacker in nfl history named the 12 pro bowl teams.ior seau he was 43-years-old. heavy suspensions for four saints players involved in the bounty scandal. the commissioner hit with a one- year suspension. the head coach got the same. the nfl suspended defenseman will smith four games. all of this attention scum without pay. -- all of the suspensions will be without pay. each of the players designed to -- declined to meet with the commissioner. ironically they will have to meet with him now since the commissioners here is the appeals. a former defensive tackle maake kemoeatu let ravens. he is simply for carolina and washington. injuries kept him out last year. saturday come a little producing its first triple crown winner since 2008. post position draw at churchill downs today in a 20-horse field. trained by three-time derby winner points toward restate as a favorite with four-one odds. if he does win, it will mark an incredible turnaround in the fortunes for him who suffered a heart attack in march and says he feels like he has a secon

i always wanted to go to the nfl.umstances that i want, but i'm there. >> reporter: legrand, a star player for rutgers, was paralyzed from the neck down after he was tackled in a game against army in 2010 and broke two vertebrae. his spirit remains strong and he is now able to use an arm bike and support himself sitting upright for 15-minute intervals. >> since i can't play, i'm not going to get down on myself and dwell on it. everything in life happens for a reason. so just focus now on what i have ahead of me. and since i can't play in the nfl, just work on other things in my life. >> reporter: legrand will get his number 52 jersey from tampa bay later this week. he doesn't plan to move to florida, but he does plan to motivate his new teammates using his own inspirational story of recovery and strength. >> well played tampa bay. >> yes, yes. >> it's a symbolic contract. he's not going to make any money. but just the idea they'd do that for him to honor the spirit he's kept up since the accident. it's just amazing. >

art filed suit, many nfl players have filed suit, mark ripen is part of another group. if the mind set was amongst the players i got to get back in there, seems to me that might be hard to prove nfl is at fault. >> you don't know. you don't know if nfl had test results or doctors say that you know, concussions this is the time we recommend. there were studies done, and different things done in medical journals that said concussions, this is what you need to do. football is different. a concussion is not only football, football is labeled because you see it but women get concussions in basketball. there are a lot of con suggestions in different sport -- concussions in different sports. the more research we are having on it. how much did you know at that time. >> that is the concern. if they knew and didn't give that information to players. >> right. >> do you think the nfl is doing a good job now? we hear more about it now and seems to be things they are trying to do to protect players. >> they are. change is hard. that is the big thing for me, the way i grew up, it was

i always wanted to go to the nfl.stances i want but i'm there. >> way to go, eric legrande. this contract is ceremonial. it doesn't include money. it's not clear what kind of role he will have with the team. we know this, though, he's with the team. >> cool story. >> i know. >> it happened at a time before cell phone cameras. the space shuttle "challenger" disaster. this is how we all remember it right there. new amateur video surfaced from that day. we'll talk to the family who shot it, next. you're watching "early start." r kids are getting a dependable clean in the bathroom? [ gasps ] think again. try charmin ultra strong for a clean with fewer pieces left behind. its diamondweave texture is soft and more durable so it holds up better for a more dependable clean. fewer pieces left behind. charmin ultra strong. blast of cold feels nice. why don't you use bengay zero degrees? it's the one you store in the freezer. same medicated pain reliever used by physical therapists. that's chilly. [ male announcer ] new bengay z

there are reasons nfl players are doing that.me the nfl ignored the fact that concussions were part of the game and were a result of the game. and guys are hurting and they need a way to get their word out there and obviously take care of themselves. >> tiki barber, always nice to have you. >> good to see you guys. >> still ahead on "starting point," a lot of you remember her from sideways. now actress virginia madsen has a new series on youtube made specifically for women. it's good. also, obama's ex-girlfriends speak and they're dishing. it's not dirt. it's more like 20-year-old angst. we'll share the pros of 20 year olds in love straight ahead. [ female announcer ] introducing coffee-mate natural bliss. made with only milk... cream... a touch of sugar... and pure natural flavors. coffee-mate natural bliss. from nestle. add your flavor naturally. i'm michael bazinet, president of creative digital imaging of bangor, maine. we have customers all over the united states. we rely on the postal service for everything that we do. the

it's not necessarily just the nfl experience.t's everything that may accrue again with many, many factors we're still beginning to uncover more and more. >> it's something i'm sure you talk about with other former players, isn't it? i'm wondering what the conversations are like? >> we talk about it now, but during the time i played we didn't talk about it. we joked about it because we didn't know the significance of it. if we had looked ahead and looked at some of those players who played in the '50s and '60s and had seen those players with dementia and alzheimer's, it might have been really an opening for us to understand what our futures might be like. the whole condition with, you know, players committing suicide, that is when a player gets to a point where he feels like he's all alone. he's going through situations that no one else can identify with. but reality is, so many players go through the same thing. they have depression and so forth as a result of their transition from the game but also some neurological issues that

. >>> free guns are being given away free online and a current nfl star sharing too much information. >>> and we would like to trend some of the thunderstorms out of the forecast and there are more to the south producing heavy rain from warrenton and we'll get you an update on radar and the memorial weekend forecast. next. . >>> an nfl star accused of sharing too much information and a new site giving away free guns. shawn yancy is in the web center to show us what is trending at 6. >> reporter: starting off with that first. the conservative news site the daily collar is giving away a new 50 -- free pistol every week and they're engraved with the bill of rights to celebrate the sec amendment. the winners will have to pass a background check. >>> and an nfl star got personal on twitter and is being criticizeed for it. the buffalo bills wide receiver tweeted a picture of his hiv and hepatitis results this week. the good news, they were negative and he's being criticizeed for oversharing. the tmi and he said he's trying to convince others to go out and get tested. >>> forget satin pumps

the nfl denies the claims.it has &prepeatedly said player safety "any alllgatioo that the nfl inteetionally ought to mislead players has no merit." the filinn f this latest suii comes a day aater ffrmee linebacker junior seau shot many beeieve it might be deathh3 related to a degenerative disease called c-t-e.it comes head, but an only be diagnosed after deathh doctors &pcertain thht seau suffered -3 his rain.a seau family friend says several reseaarh facilities have alrrady requested his brain ffr sttdy. attorney for some f the playerssin the lawsuit wants the nfl to prove safety iss number ooe by setting up a medical monitoring system."in essence it would provide a peans by whichhto do diagnostics and also treatment " i'm andrew sppncer reporting. accooding to the lawsuit agaiist tte nfl... 12 cases of the disease c-t-e have been detected in dead plaaers. it looks like soomthing out of a horror movie... residents in china are trying to figure oot hhw to deal with a toad invasion.thousands are &pflooding the streets... and residents fear thh thumb-sized creatures may spread paraaites the i

he played for 20 years in the nfl. the first 13 years with the san he led them to their only super bowl appearance in 1995. the team's president said the chargers lost a leader. >> i heard somebody say, no coach had to give any inspirational speeches because he clearly was the leader in that locker room. >> reporter: san diego's major league baseball team, padres, paid tribute to their city's star with a moment of silence. seau also played for the miami dolphins before retiring with the new england patriots in 2009. he made the headlines again in 2010 after driving his car 100 feet down a sea side cliff. the crash happened hours after he was arrested for investigation of domestic violence. seau said he fell asleep at the wheel. the chargers' coach, norv turner, says he'll be remembered as a player and a leader. >> he has had such a great impact on so many people. he will be missed. >> reporter: junior seau was 43 years old. cbs news, los angeles. >> after that tragedy, an uplifting moment in the sports world. los angel

. >>> we have a follow up on former nfl star junior seau who killed himself with a gun shot wound to the chest on wednesday. today, his family members agreed to allow his brain to be studied for signs that repeated concussionsed could have led to brain damage. this comes on a day after 100 former nfl players filed suit against the league for lasting damage that hard hits to the head may cause. it's not limited to pro athletes. it's an urgent issue on every field for every child and their parents during every contact sport. our report tonight from nbc's kevin tibbles. >> hall of famer harry carson played 13 years for the new york giants. his opponent today, post concussion syndrome. >> once you're damaged from a neurological standpoint, you may never, ever be the same. >> carson is one of a growing number of former nflers battling brain injuries. now more than 1500 of them are suing the league, the latest saying the nfl failed to take reasonable steps to protect players from devastating head injuries. away from the pros, efforts are under way to restrict rough contact between younger

the nfl is hesitant to put out the evidence.rious why, maybe they don't want to show some of the things they possibly knew and could get them in trouble and potential lawsuits down the line. i think there's some mistrust on both ends and this story is far from over, unfortunately. >> yes, i would agree with you on that, larry holder, thank you, appreciate it. >>> still ahead on "starting point," it was an endorsement but certainly hidden, wasn't it? rick santorum made a slog through something like 16 paragraphs, 13 paragraphs in a late night e-mail to figure out, does he want to endorse mitt romney or not. we'll take a closer look at what he was really trying to say. >>> also, the sole survivor of a navy s.e.a.l. ambush in afghanistan decides to go back to war. why marcus latrell says revenge is a powerful motivator. we'll share his story in a moment. [ thunk ] sweet! [ male announcer ] the solid thunk of the door on the jetta. thanks, mister! [ meow ] [ male announcer ] another example of volkswagen quality. that's the power of

lawyer is. >> we represent about 320 nfl football players all of whom have this concussion syndrome.it's drastic. some people are unable to work. some people cannot remember the middle names of their children. >> tom girardi won't go into detail about art monk's ll, i think he's doing okay. i think that would be, you know, the way to describe it. >> back inside, steps up, fires it down the far side. he's got to complete to monk. >> art needs to do what he believes and peoples is right for him. >> joe thiesmann spoke to us by telephone from boston today. >> i'm a firm believer. i haven't had tests done yet, but i believe i have post concussion syndrome. i mean i have even more so in the last couple of years i've noticed memory issues, a little bit of balance issues. >> thiesmann says he hasn't decided whether to join one of the class action lawsuits. >> i am going to join the suit because i'm in that class. >> former redskins team captain and head hog george stark has a new son and a history of concussions from his playing days. >> the only question is and i think that's what art's su

i always wanted to go to the nfl. may not be the circumstances i want, but i'm there. >> what a great attitude. legrand says the bucks can't give him any money because of the salary cap. he hopes to eventually become a sportscaster. >>> when we come back, going skin deep. a severely tanned new jersey mother enters a plea in a child endangerment case. - it's the moment when forever begins. kay jewelers presents the ring that lives up to the moment. neil lane bridal from hollywood's premiere jewelry designer. - the setting has to be perfect. it's where the diamond lives. - uniquely beautiful hand-crafted rings with diamonds hand-selected by kay, the newest reason kay is the number one jewelry store in america. neil lane bridal. forever begins here. it's real milk full of calcium and vitamin d. and tastes simply delicious. for those of us with lactose intolerance... lactaid® milk. the original 100% lactose-free milk. >>> here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. washington, d.c., afternoon thun