As research on neuro-degenerative diseases intensifies in America, athletes across all sports and ages have begun volunteering to donate their brain to universities and researchers in hopes to identify the link between traumatic brain injuries and memory-impairing diseases such as Alzheimer’s. The National Football League has arguably been at the forefront of this movement. The NFL and the NFL Players Association have partnered with the Sports Legacy Institute (SLI), and procured $1 million in funding to create the world’s largest brain bank for post-mortem analysis; they have recruited 300 volunteers to date.
“[Brain trauma] appears very wide spread in athletes who have played a lot of contact sports, especially football… Of the 13 NFL cases that we’ve completed post-mortem brain studies 12-of-the-13 [were affected],” said SLI Founder, Chris Nowinski in a recent report by Reuters.
With the Super Bowl approaching much attention has been given to the topic of traumatic brain injuries and former NFL players are using their celebrity status to raise awareness on the subject. Former Super Bowl standout, Jim McMahon attested to the impact of concussions on memory-impairment.
Speaking to Reuters about reuniting with his former teammates, McMahon said, “when we get together we discuss [concussions], ‘How you feeling? You forgetting stuff like me?’ And they are. All of them.”
The NFL has taken these implications very seriously and has used them to take a stronger stance toward preventing concussions. They have implemented stricter regulations and fines against helmet-to-helmet hits, fining some players up to $75,000 for repeat violations. They posted information about concussions in the locker rooms of all 32 teams prior to the beginning of the season and have even launched a concussion awareness website (www.NFLHealthandSafety.com).
The increasing popularity of football in America has converted NFL players into the role models of youth athletes. Many of them aspiring to be just like their favorite NFL stars, who until recently seemed to thrive on viscous hits and valued toughness through injuries. In a letter to fans, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell explained “We are changing the ‘play through it’ culture to a ‘player-first’ culture;” an important step toward to re-educating athletes of all levels on the importance of brain health.
