Repeated concussions suffered while playing football could have led to the high-profile suicide of a former professional football player, according to The New York Times. The findings could have far-reaching implications for college football players who suffer head injuries.

Bennet Omalu of the University of Pittsburgh, a leading expert in forensic pathology, claims that Andre Waters, an 11-year NFL veteran who took his life in November, suffered brain damage from playing football, which led him to slide into a depression that ultimately caused him to kill himself.

Dr. Omalu said his tests revealed that Mr. Waters’s brain resembled that of an octogenarian Alzheimer’s patient. His assertions, which have not been corroborated or reviewed, add to the scientific debate over whether victims of multiple concussions are at heightened risk of depression, dementia, and suicide as early as midlife.

The NFL would not comment specifically on the case of Mr. Waters, but the league plans to begin a study of retired players this year to examine the more general issue of football concussions and subsequent depression.