09/18/2025
Warning: This story contains mentions of su***de that may be triggering for some.
Scott Heisler was always very athletic, involved in several sports growing up. He developed a love for football at a young age and started playing tackle in the 6th grade. There were never any reported concussions during those years, but Scott was known to be a hard-hitting player.
“We just didn’t know then all we know now,” says his family.
After high school, Scott spent four years in the Marines and was a member of the Marine Regiment football team. He played for three years and made All Base team twice. While in bootcamp Scott was exposed to many blows to the head. He also sustained a serious brain injury from a random attack while he was on duty.
As the years went on, Scott showed signs of erratic behavior and suffered from alcohol addiction. But he continued to be a tremendous athlete, using running as his outlet and completing numerous triathlons. In 2020, his mood changed and he became more negative and impatient. Scott died by su***de five years ago today at the age of 45. His family donated his brain to the UNITE Brain Bank, where researchers found tau protein consistent with early-stage CTE. Scott’s family shared his Legacy Story so others can recognize when their loved one is struggling and get them the help they need.
Read his story:
https://concussionfoundation.org/personal-stories/legacy-stories/Scott-Heisler/
