Kramer, who played for the Lions and the Bears in an NFL career between 1987 and 1999, was found by police with a gunshot wound in a California motel

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Erik Kramer, the former Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears quarterback, shot himself on Tuesday night in what his ex-wife said was an apparent suicide attempt.

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Kramer, 50, was wounded in the shooting but survived. According to reports, police were called to a motel in Calabasas, California, just north-west of LA. When deputies arrived they found Kramer with a gunshot wound that was described as not life-threatening.

Kramer’s former wife, Marshawn Kramer, told NBC News it was a suicide attempt, and said Kramer suffered from depression that she believes was the result of his time playing in the NFL.

“He is a very amazing man, a beautiful soul, but he has suffered depression since he was with the Bears,” Marshawn Kramer told NBC. “I can promise you he is not the same man I married.”

Kramer played in the NFL between 1987 and 1999, and finished with 31-36 record as a starter. He played in an NFC Championship game for the Lions in 1991, but arguably his peak came in 1995 with the Bears, when he threw for 29 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while leading the team to a 9-7 record.

After he finished playing, he went into sports broadcasting. He worked as an NFL announcer for Fox and currently covers the Bears.

The news comes amid a passionate debate over the effects of head injuries on players who played in the NFL. Former NFL stars Junior Seau and Dave Duerson killed themselves and were posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain condition linked to repeated blows to the head.

The NFL and the NFL Players Association did not immediately return emails seeking comment.

Marshawn and Erik Kramer officially divorced in 2010, after years of problems caused by Erik’s depression, she said. “I know Erik and I would still be together if not for his football injury,” she said. It was an amicable split, she said, and they live in the same California city, not far from each other.