Finnerty's Father: God Knows What Really HappenedFinnerty's Father: God Knows What Really Happened

8/9/13 - The father of a former college football star from Livingston County who died in the Michigan wilderness says only his son and God really know what happened. Tim Finnerty spoke Thursday after a medical examiner concluded Cullen Finnerty died of pneumonia caused by inhaling his vomit. A medical examiner says the former Brighton High School football star became disoriented in the woods after a fishing trip possibly because of painkillers combined with having a degenerative brain disease. A Boston University neuropathologist who studied Finnerty's brain says it's highly unlikely the brain disease was the sole cause of death, but it possibly affected his behavior. Tim Finnerty says it's important to keep researching chronic traumatic encephalopathy and links to sports-related head injuries. He says Cullen, who went to a record-setting career with Grand Valley State and then a short NFL run, loved football, though, and athletes learn "substantial" life lessons playing the sport. (JK)