Ontario sports minister, ex-CFL player Lumsden will donate brain to concussion research

Ontario sports minister Neil Lumsden will donate his brain to concussion research.

Lumsden, a former Canadian Football League star, announced Wednesday at Varsity Stadium he’ll be donating his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada (CLFC) to assist with research on brain injuries.

Brain donations are important for gaining insight into the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative disease linked to repetitive head trauma.

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Lumsden, 71, of London, Ont., won a Vanier Cup with the University of Ottawa in 1975.

He went on to play 10 CFL seasons with the Toronto Argonauts (1976-78), Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1978-79) and Edmonton (1980-85), where he won three Grey Cups.

6:31 Provincial Concussion Awareness Day

Lumsden added a fourth CFL title as Hamilton’s general manager in 1999.