“Dave could walk in and capture a room. He had a lot of charisma, he had a lot of magic to him. He was 6ft 2in, but the way he carried himself he seemed like a bigger guy,” she says when we meet in Chicago.

They married in 1983 after he graduated with a degree in economics. He had thoughts of going to law school or entering politics, but the draw of a professional career in football proved irresistible and he was selected to play for the Chicago Bears that same year.

Alicia and their four children attended every game. It was hard watching him take a battering in such a physical contact sport, but he was tough and competitive and she comforted herself that it was usually Duerson who delivered the pounding. “He wasn’t taking the hits, so much as giving them out.”

But over the 11 years he played as a professional, the family can recall at least 10 concussions that he suffered on the pitch. That’s the bare minimum, as he may have had many other knocks to the head that weren’t registered.

“He never came off the field and would always continue to play, so a lot of times I wouldn’t learn ‘til after the game,” Alicia recalls. Duerson would tell her: “I took a strong hit to the head, I’m a little dizzy, let’s drive home,” and would try and shake it off.

“Back then it was a man’s game,” she says. “Gladiator. Ra, ra. He'd say he felt nauseous and need to rest, and go and lie down for a while.” Within days, sometimes hours, he’d be back on his feet and back on the field….

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