Irv Cross, the former Eagle and first African-American to do sports reports on television in Philadelphia, recalls his playing and reporting days in Bearing the Cross, a new book he co-wrote with Clifton Brown, writes Frank Fitzpatrick for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Today, Cross, 79, suffers the consequences from his years of playing football. The two-time Pro Bowl cornerback has nonstop headaches and has been diagnosed with mild cognitive dementia.

However, he refuses to be bitter about the situation.

“I don’t talk about how I feel,” he said. “I’ve got some damage, obviously, but I’m still here. I’m very fortunate.”

Cross believes he knows the cause of his pain, and he carries a card that says, following his death, his brain should be tested for chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

“That’s affected a lot of players from my generation,” he said of CTE.

Read more about Irv Cross in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.

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