Beasley, a star receiver at Auburn University, spent three years in the NFL playing for the San Francisco 49ers. He’s one of thousands of retired pro players who will soon benefit from a multi-million dollar concussion settlement with the NFL.
As research has expanded, links have been found between blows to the head football players sustain and several degenerative brain diseases.
The money will finally be distributed to players after the Supreme Court announced this week that it will not hear an appeal of the case.
Players had sued the league, claiming the NFL hid the risks of brain injury. The settlement could award up to $5 million each to players who retired before July 7, 2014.
For Beasley, 66, and his wife, Marlene, the money can’t come soon enough.
“It’s going to help us buy the medicines he needs, get the physical help he needs from remodeling our house to make it handicap accessible to having someone with him 24 hours a day,” Marlene said.
She met her husband when he was in the hospital and she was working as a psychiatric nurse. Eventually, she stopped working to care for him.
“My job is Terry 24 hours a day,” Marlene said.
While in the NFL, Beasley went up against some of the most formidable players, including Dick Butkus. His style of play put him in the perfect position to take “numerous bad hits,” according to Marlene.
Beasley suffered more than 40 concussions over his career, and is on more than 10 medications. He’s essentially confined to his bed and has short seizures every day.
“He has trouble speaking,” said Marlene, who spoke with CNNMoney in Beasley’s stead. “Terry gets injections for the pain, but it never goes away. He sleeps for a couple hours when he can until the pain gets so bad that it wakes him up.”