An autopsy showed that Washington State quarterback Tyler Hilinski, who died a few months ago of suicide, was in the early stages of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, at the time.

A medical examiner said the 21-year-old Hilinski had the brain of a 65-year-old, his father told the Today Show on Tuesday. A Sports Illustrated report earlier in the day revealed the results of the autopsy. CTE is a degenerative brain disease often associated with football, as researchers have linked the disease to concussions, and symptoms of CTE include suicidality.