OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) — The Oakland Police Department plans to release body camera footage of its officers’ struggle with Doug Martin, 36, a former NFL player who died over the weekend while in police custody.
In a statement released through his former agents, Martin’s family said he struggled with mental health issues. His death has sparked outrage in the community and renewed attention to the long-term effects of head trauma and mental health issues athletes face.
This is evident from a report released on Wednesday The Mercury NewsMartin’s brain will be preserved for testing for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
ABC7 News contacted the Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau, who said no preliminary reports are available and it will take 3 to 6 months to complete an autopsy and death report. Martin’s former agents did not respond to our inquiry about CTE testing. The ABC7 I-Team has submitted registration requests for the 911 calls to the Oakland Police Department, along with all body camera footage and police reports.
Dwayne Allen, an 8-year veteran of the NFL and Super Bowl champions, is now working with the NFL Players Association to support athletes, current and former, as they transition out of the league.
“You get to that mountain top you’ve always dreamed of,” Allen said. “But no one has ever dreamed of what happens after reaching the top.”
RELATED: Ex-NFL player Doug Martin struggled with mental health issues before OPD death in custody: family
Allen said the challenges of life after football are not unique to NFL players.
“Transitions are hard,” he said. “It’s not just those who played in the National Football League, but all the top performers.”
“CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a diagnosis that can only be made after an individual has died,” says Dr. Ashwin Ramayya, professor of neurosurgery at Stanford University. “That’s a major limitation in what we can understand about this disease.”
Dr. Ramayya provided further insight into how brain tissue is preserved and studied.
“So that can be examined under a microscope. And using those microscopic examinations you can look for certain patterns. Those are more likely to occur in certain patient populations than others. And this is where I think the research continues to evolve,” said Dr. Ramayya.
RELATED: Oakland police release bodycam footage of encounter with ex-NFL player Doug Martin
A 2023 study from Boston University’s CTE Center found that 40% of athletes who died before age 30 had CTE. But experts say head trauma is not limited to sports and much more research is needed.
“There are many mysteries about brain function, brain disorders and brain injuries that we really need to understand. We need to develop new technology and dedicate resources to studying these problems,” said Dr. Ramayya. “But how do we come up with functional tests of how a brain works, how an individual’s brain works, to be able to make diagnoses that bridge those two ends, those two ends of the two extremes, if you will.”
RELATED: Former NFL player Doug Martin died after being restrained following a burglary at an Oakland home, police say
Allen emphasized that there are resources available for athletes who are struggling.
“If you’re struggling with mental or physical health, there’s an assessment of the brain and body through the trust,” he said. “Once you’ve been in the NFL for two years, every five years they send you to one of the Cleveland Clinics. They’ll monitor everything for you so you can stay ahead of the curve on your health and hopefully prevent a tragedy before it becomes unbearable.”
Copyright © 2025 KGO-TV. All rights reserved.
#ExNFL #player #Doug #Martins #brain #reportedly #tested #CTE #death #custody