Merril Hoge

Ex-Pittsburgh Steelers running back and former NFL analyst Merril Hoge says Roundup weed killer caused him to get cancer back in 2003 ... and now, he's suing. The 54-year-old says he first mixed and sprayed the popular weed killer all over while he was working on a farm in Idaho back in 1977.…

All the hand-wringing over CTE and its link to football needs to SLOW THE HELL DOWN ... so says Merril Hoge -- who tells TMZ Sports he's getting support from NFL stars like Ben Roethlisberger. Merril -- an ex-Steelers RB and former ESPN analyst -- makes the argument in his new book, "Brainwashed:…