Former NFL Player Highlights Brain Health In Black Men
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors
February 8, 2026
Former NFL defensive back Robert W. Turner II is leading a national effort to bring Black men into conversations about brain health.
By Robert Hill
As Super Bowl hype puts professional football back in the national spotlight, former NFL defensive back Robert W. Turner II is leading a national effort to bring Black men into conversations about brain health. The physical toll of repeated hits to the head and concussions in football has increasingly been linked to long-term brain injuries and mental health challenges, making Turner’s advocacy especially urgent as the sport commands renewed attention. The condition most commonly associated with repeated head injuries in football is chronic traumatic encephalopathy, known as CTE.
Turner, now a medical sociologist at the Duke University School of Medicine, is the principal investigator of a National Institutes of Health–funded study examining how repetitive head injuries and life experiences affect aging, dementia, and neurodegenerative disease in Black men, one of the groups at highest risk but least represented in brain health research.
Black men face a disproportionately higher risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease; however, they remain underrepresented in the research designed to understand these conditions better.
Duke University School of Medicine reported that, “According to the National Institute on Aging, the Alzheimer’s Association, and other researchers, Black Americans are approximately twice as likely as white Americans to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers say the reasons for this disparity remain unclear, in part because Black individuals are much less likely than white Americans to participate in Alzheimer’s and dementia research studies.”
With the support of additional research institutions, including Boston University and the Duke/UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Turner is working to close that gap.
The National Institutes of Health–funded study enrolls 200 Black men aged 50 or older, including former tackle football players from high school, college, and professional levels, as well as participants who have never played football or other contact sports. The research involves MRI scans, blood and urine testing, and cognitive assessments to understand better how head injuries and life experiences influence long-term brain health.
Beyond research, Turner has expanded his efforts to raise awareness by launching the Black Men’s Brain Health Research Directory to connect Black men with neuroscience studies. He also founded the Black Men’s Brain Health Conference to foster community dialogue on aging and brain health.
Just days before the Super Bowl, Turner brought together researchers, athletes, NFL players, and community members at Merritt College for a Black Men’s Brain Health Conference to highlight the importance of brain health and encourage greater participation in research.
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