NFL News 2016: Medical Expert Says League Should Revamp Its Concussion Policies
A medical expert believes that the National Football League (NFL) should make a change in its policies regarding player concussions.
In March, the New York Times released an article, questioning the league's "flawed" concussion research. According to the report, the NFL's concussion research could be very similar to that of the tobacco industry, which was criticized for masking the ill effects of cigarette smoking.
A few weeks back, a federal district judge approved to give more than 5,000 former players a settlement, after they accused the NFL of hiding the dangers of concussions. The said settlement amounts to $5 million to players who were deemed to have neurological disorders.
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On Sunday, Dr. Ann McKee, director of the BU CTE Center that studies head trauma, concussions, and its impact on players appeared on CNBC's "On The Money", where she discussed how repetitive trauma affects individuals as years progress.
She also pointed out how the game of American football itself could be a major hazard to a young player's brain.
"Their brains are still developing," Dr. McKee said. "We think that the juvenile or adolescent brain is particularly at risk. They don't handle changes in blood flow very easily. The [young] brain is particularly susceptible to damage from head trauma."
The first player to be diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy was Mike Webster of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who died in 2002. The report adds that the said disease was also diagnosed in three other deceased players, namely Ken Stabler of the Oakland Raiders, Frank Gifford of the New York Giants, and Junior Seau of the New England Patriots.
Dr. McKee also noted that the new helmets that the NFL mandated for its players "will never be the answer", adding "playing with the head" should be ruled out during games.
"People are taking head injury very seriously…but it will take education with players and coaches and families, to eliminate as much head contact as possible," she said.
