“These Are Life-And-Death Situations”: Super Bowl Champion Blasts Comedian Druski Over Skit Mocking CTE

This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

Druski has become one of internet culture’s most successful comedians by mastering the art of observational humor. His skits resonate because they serve as a mirror of the hyper-specific, everyday personalities we all know.

However, there are times when he puts out a skit that garners backlash.

From his Erika Kirk skit to his skit on pastors, many of them have actually made the news due to backlash. Now, his latest skit is going viral for all the wrong reasons.

Druski Drops CTE Skit

Comedian Druski dropped a high-production satirical sketch titled “ATHLETES GET C0NCUSSI0NS & LOSE THEIR MINDS.” The video tackles the highly sensitive reality of concussion protocols, head trauma, and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in professional football.

To begin with, Druski establishes the premise by introducing a fictional running back named Ray Price playing in a mock professional league. Initially, the skit opens with Price taking a violent, brutal hit on the field that sends his helmet flying.

Consequently, this initial moment sets up the dark comedic narrative arc, explicitly framing Price’s subsequent erratic behavior as the direct result of severe head trauma. Once the injury occurs, the skit shifts into a fast-paced montage documenting the fictional player completely losing his grip on reality.

Not everybody was happy to see this.

T.J. Ward Slams Comedian Over CTE Skit Mocking Football Brain Trauma

T.J. Ward, a former Pro Bowl safety and Super Bowl 50 champion, was highly critical of Druski’s viral video. Because Ward spent 10 seasons in the NFL witnessing the harrowing reality of brain injuries firsthand, the skit hit a deeply personal nerve.

To begin with, Ward clarified his stance on comedy during an episode of the Speakeasy podcast. Initially, he emphasized that he genuinely loves comedy and can appreciate a good joke. Furthermore, he admitted that there were actually a few funny moments scattered throughout Druski’s video. However, despite those brief comedic elements, Ward felt compelled to “put his sensitivity cap on.”

He did so because the underlying subject matter is far too grave to be treated as a casual punchline.

“When something is funny, it’s funny. Some of the situations in that skit, there were a couple of funny moments,” Ward began. “But overall, I’m going to put my sensitivity cap on like everyone else seems to do when affecting them.

“…These are life-and-death situations, and at the end of the day, it’s a life-taking disease. And I think CTE, universally, is the only disease that’s allowed to be made fun of, which is crazy. You wouldn’t make fun of somebody with cancer, you wouldn’t make fun of somebody with dementia, you wouldn’t make fun of somebody with AIDS.

Ward shifted his focus to what he views as a glaring double standard in modern pop culture regarding brain trauma. Specifically, he argued that Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is the only fatal disease that society openly allows people to mock on public platforms.

“You wouldn’t make fun of anyone with these diseases that are taking lives. But for some reason, across the universal platform … football players, people who have effects of collisions and CTE symptoms are the only people who are allowed to be made fun of.”

Like every other skit, Druski is unlikely to apologize for it.