:Dennis Wirgowski

{{Short description|American football player (1947–2014)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| image =

| caption =

| position = Defensive end

| number = 70, 75, 85

| birth_date = {{birth date|1947|09|20}}

| birth_place = Bay City, Michigan, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2014|01|25|1947|09|20}}

| death_place = Kawkawlin, Michigan, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| weight_lb = 257

| height_in = 5

| draftyear = 1970

| draftround = 9

| draftpick = 212

| high_school = Bay City (MI) Central

| college = Purdue

| pastteams =

• Boston/New England Patriots ({{NFL Year|1970|1972}})
• Philadelphia Eagles ({{NFL Year|1973}})

| highlights =

| statlabel1 = Games played

| statvalue1 = 50

| statlabel2 = Interceptions

| statvalue2 = 1

| pfr = WirgDe20

}}

Dennis Wirgowski (September 20, 1947 – January 25, 2014) was an American football player who played defensive end. He played high school football at Bay City High School and college football at Purdue University. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Boston Patriots (later the New England Patriots) and the

Philadelphia Eagles.{{cite web|title=Obituary:Dennis "Nuts" Wirgowski|url=http://www.obitmichigan.com/Obituary/19405/Dennis-Wirgowski|work=ObitMichigan.com|accessdate=January 30, 2014}}{{cite web|title=Dennis Wirgowski, Bay City football star who played in NFL, dies at 66|url=http://www.mlive.com/sports/bay-city/index.ssf/2014/01/dennis_wirgowski_bay_city_foot.html|date=January 28, 2014|work=mlive.com|accessdate=January 30, 2014}}

Dennis was diagnosed with Stage 2-3 Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy at the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank.{{cite web |last1=Boyd |first1=Brandon |title=DENNIS WIRGOWSKI |url=https://concussionfoundation.org/story/legacy-donor/dennis-wirgowski |website=Concussion Foundation |access-date=2 February 2021}} He is one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with this disease, which is caused by repeated hits to the head.{{cite news |title=The driving force behind Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) |website=Concussion Legacy Foundation |url=https://concussionfoundation.org/cte-resources/subconcussive-impacts |access-date=July 2, 2023 |archive-date=July 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230702123543/https://concussionfoundation.org/cte-resources/subconcussive-impacts |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |author=Ken Belson and Benjamin Mueller |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/20/sports/football/cte-study-concussions-brain-tackle.html |title=Collective Force of Head Hits, Not Just the Number of Them, Increases Odds of C.T.E. The largest study of chronic traumatic encephalopathy to date found that the cumulative force of head hits absorbed by players in their careers is the best predictor of future brain disease. |work= The New York Times |date=June 20, 2023 |access-date=July 2, 2023 }}