Robert Sowell

{{Short description|American football player (1961–2015)}}

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

{{Infobox NFL biography

|name=Robert Sowell

|image=

|birth_date={{birth date|1961|6|23}}

|birth_place=Columbus, Ohio, U.S.

|death_date={{death date and age|2015|6|22|1961|6|23}}

|death_place= Tampa, Florida, U.S.

|position=Defensive back

|college=Howard

|undraftedyear=

|pfr=

|pastteams =

* Miami Dolphins ({{NFL Year|1983}}–{{NFL Year|1987}})

}}

Robert Donnell Sowell Jr.{{cite web| url = http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sptimes/obituary.aspx?n=robert-donnell-sowell&pid=175161943&fhid=13843| title = Robert SOWELL Obituary (2015) - St. Petersburg, FL - Tampa Bay Times}} (June 23, 1961 – June 22, 2015) was a professional American football player who played defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Miami Dolphins.

Sowell died June 22, 2015, of a heart attack. He was employed at UPS.{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SoweRo20.htm|title=Robert Sowell|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.miamidolphins.com/news/article-1/Robert-Sowell-Passes-Away-At-Age-53/5d85d59c-8658-45aa-89c9-a6249d5488c1|title=Robert Sowell Passes Away At Age 53|work=miamidolphins.com|access-date=2015-06-25|archive-date=2015-06-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150628222229/http://www.miamidolphins.com/news/article-1/Robert-Sowell-Passes-Away-At-Age-53/5d85d59c-8658-45aa-89c9-a6249d5488c1|url-status=dead}} He is one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), 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 }}