Popular Former Bucs LB In Bad Shape
May 23rd, 2018
Sad news.
Former Bucs ferocious-hitting linebacker Scot Brantley is 60 years old.
It sounds like he’s much older than that.
Brantley, per Jenna Laine of ESPN, has Alzheimer’s disease. He previously was diagnosed with dementia. He also had strokes which caused him to lose much of the vision in his left eye.
As a result, Brantley, who used to be part of the Florida Gators football radio broadcast team as well as a color analyst for Bucs radio broadcasts, has been fighting with the NFL to receive benefits from a league concussion settlement with former players.
Brantley was featured in a segment last night on HBO’s popular long-running sports series “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.”
“I am 50 years old. Fifty, turned 50 the 24th of February. And — is that right?” Scot said in the segment.
Mary responded, “No. He’s 60,” then adding of him forgetting his age: “It happens all the time.”
This is awful.
Joe met Brantley a couple of times and he couldn’t have been a nicer guy. Had a kind word for just about everyone. If he wouldn’t talk fishing with you over some cold beer, he surely would talk your ear off about football.
For years, Brantley used to co-host sports radio shows in the Tampa Bay area.
One of Joe’s favorite Brantley stories was him talking about how he was recruited by three college football giants: Bear Bryant, Woody Hayes and a guy trying to build a program in the Panhandle, Bobby Bowden. Brantley said he would have loved to have played for any of those three but the problem was, none of the three coached the Gators.
Brantley is a Floridian through and through.
For those who may not have remembered Brantley, here is a clip of what kind of a (legal) hitter he was. If that hit happened in today’s game, NFL strongman Roger Goodell would have tried to have Brantley banned from the league.
May 23rd, 2018 at 12:35 am
Sad news.
Brantley was a great Buccaneer
A hard hitting good ole’ boy . Home grown.
I wish him the best, and will add him to my prayers
May 23rd, 2018 at 3:10 am
I enjoyed him on the field and later when he was on the radio.
He was one of the best …….
Prayers sent to him and his family
May 23rd, 2018 at 3:45 am
in my prayers Mr. Brantley
May 23rd, 2018 at 4:41 am
Legalize Ganja.
Protects the brain.
Jah bless.
Follow the facts. Not your bias.
May 23rd, 2018 at 6:21 am
Class act. Good guy. Damn shame.
May 23rd, 2018 at 6:37 am
Very sad to here. I always loved his colorful analysis and stories he had, he was more of a fan of the game then anything else. You have my thoughts and prayers Scott.
May 23rd, 2018 at 7:18 am
I didn’t see that as an illegal hit. Even though it appeared violent Brantley hit Hipple with his shoulder. I remember Brantley well, he was a fan favorite.
May 23rd, 2018 at 7:21 am
This sucks. The evidence keeps piling on. The game will dry up with no one playing the game if they can’t make it safer with rule changes and better equipment. Keep that in mind when “you” want to start complaining about the removal of 3 point stance today and the massive alterations to the kickoff. Not what it used to be but that’s not sustainable. Losing the brains of generations of our favorite athletes in their 40s 50s and 60s means we have to change the game or there won’t be a game in 20 years.
May 23rd, 2018 at 7:51 am
Scott Brantley is definitely showing signs, and the effects from multiple career concussions. Plus, the players back then weren’t paid like players are today. For that reason alone I believe Scott should not be denied a medical pension. He has clearly at least earned it.
May 23rd, 2018 at 8:00 am
Sad story. Good luck to him.
Risk vs reward these players get paid a ton of money knowing damn well the game is dangerous. Football players are no different than any other high risk job (deep sea divers, SEALS, rig operators) yet they want special treatment because they do not plan for future. A large percentage piss their money away on materialistic BS, booze, boats and broads.
Zero Personal responsibility has destroyed this country. Its better to be a victim than responsible.
May 23rd, 2018 at 8:10 am
Great Gator and Buc and really good guy hope that the NFL is taking care of him and his expenses, Reality is a Beortch, there is some merit to what you are saying, in there…….football is a tough as nails sport, I think the rules this year are going to really impact the game in a negative way if the refs do not hold their whistles, especially on QB sneaks, how can that not be a whistle on every sneak or short yardage run
May 23rd, 2018 at 8:18 am
Scott is my buddy’s stepfather
The family is vexed by the NFL turning their backs on Scott.
May 23rd, 2018 at 8:32 am
Sad….he was a GREAT football player….I was at the game when he blew up Eric Hipple…and listening when he and BigDawg got into it
May 23rd, 2018 at 8:35 am
Sad to hear about Brantley .He is one of my all time favorites.
May 23rd, 2018 at 9:15 am
Listening to Jimmy Buffet in your honor. Wish you and yours all the best!
May 23rd, 2018 at 9:18 am
Prayers for Scot, knew him as a high school player out of Ocala then as a Gator……had to have a steel plate put in his head…..hit waaay to hard if that’s possible…..
Pure country guy, good guy, sad news….
May 23rd, 2018 at 9:43 am
Shame on the NFL. Scot Brantley gave all he had for this game and is now paying the health consequences that many players do as they get into their 50s and 60s. And what does the NFL do? Gives this man the big, fat middle finger.
Billions and Billions in revenue – and the NFL can’t help take care of those who gave so much to the game at a time when players were not making nearly as much $ as they do now?
Shameful! That’s what it is.
God Bless you Scot! And thanks for all you have done for this franchise as well as this community.
May 23rd, 2018 at 10:11 am
Prays to you and Mary. I miss hanging out out our tailgate party’s.. God Bless..
May 23rd, 2018 at 10:45 am
Reality is a Beotch you must have no heart damn. The mega monopoly of the NFL is rollilng in cash that they could easily fork out to players such as Brantley who gave their heart and sole like the gladiators of the Roman timess. . The “dangers” you talk of have only in the last 10 years become linked to brain damage and to suggest that the players in the 1970’s were given the same information that players are today is pure garbage. To suggest that Brantley doesnt deserve to be taken care of by a billion dollar league that is only growing in wealth is a take from Scrooge. Karma is a bitch, with words like that dont expect pity from anyone if you one day get a terrible medical condition with no cure. Humanity is about caring not abandoning. The players of today get paid well, Brantley? No he did not that was years ago when Mr. Culverhouse was pinching every damn penny.
May 23rd, 2018 at 11:07 am
My mother died of frontal temporal dementia a few years ago. Dementia is a fate worse than death as it takes your brain before your body. Scott Brantley was a great Buccaneer and an even better community leader. I remember him helping host a Buccaneer sponsored football camp when I was a kid living in Tampa. Man, he had some cool stories and really seemed to love working with youth players. So said to hear this news. Prayers for him and his family. Go Bucs!
May 23rd, 2018 at 11:09 am
Hey Reality… Just read your a hole post. Hope nobody in your family ever gets dementia as you will learn how much of a Beatch life can be. You are cold hearted
May 23rd, 2018 at 11:39 am
Joe
How much longer you gonna let Tmax spew his vile crap??
He was banned months ago.?? –Joe
May 23rd, 2018 at 11:50 am
Joe
C’mon man..read the “tea leaves”
May 23rd, 2018 at 11:51 am
BTW
editing my post makes Joe look like a protectionist..just sayin
May 23rd, 2018 at 11:54 am
Not my site, but I fully believe “Reality…” is “Tmax”
Go Bucs!
May 23rd, 2018 at 11:59 am
Hope so. If Joe isn’t going to look out for No. 1, who then?
If Joe didn’t protect himself, good chance this site doesn’t exist.
May 23rd, 2018 at 12:05 pm
WTF
I wasn’t talking about Joe protecting Joe,
Unless Joe =Tmax
May 23rd, 2018 at 1:17 pm
I’m hopeful the NFl will provide this guy with some type of assistance. He is just one of a..plethera of stories, Many we never hear about..concerning former NFl players who have dementia and alzheimers related to their playing days. The NFl should be ashamed of itself. A billion dollar industry that could easily set up extensive medical funds for players and still have mega profits. Prayers for my man Gus.
May 23rd, 2018 at 2:51 pm
Just read this on BSPN.
Word can do justice in situations like this.
So many ex players are going through similar sitations.
Hopefully our ownership will step-in, and help out him and his family.
Sad new news indeed.
May 23rd, 2018 at 2:52 pm
Sad news indeed.
May 23rd, 2018 at 2:57 pm
Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund
http://gridirongreats.org/about-us/
May 23rd, 2018 at 2:59 pm
My apologies for the link Joe – but I really don’t feel people understand how bad things really are for ex-players.
May 23rd, 2018 at 4:00 pm
Brantley continues to be
A gift to us all. I for one admire and thank him.
He is hitting the NFL with the truth. I too wish
The truth were different but it’s not and the NFL
Is showing its fragility by running away from it.
His good friend Cris Collinsworth has used other Brantley stories for good and will do the same with this I believe.
That was a hell of a group at ocala Forest high School in 1976. Brantley was the best but he made them all good.
Uf also benefitted as did the bucs. Time erases too much
Without ashes but his fire was incredible. Perhaps the almighty will see fit to give him back a little of what he gave us somehow.
May 23rd, 2018 at 4:15 pm
Mveal
Well said brotha
May 23rd, 2018 at 8:38 pm
Thoughts and prayers Scott.
May 24th, 2018 at 9:50 am
I remember Brantley and Weingarten on 820 The Team. He also did a show on WFTS with Duemig before this. Loved his bantor with Deckerhoff on the Buc radio broadcasts. Its a shame how the NFL has turned its back on him and declined his claim because he did some Gainesville radio. Prayers to Scot and his family. Man he was one helluva player.