By Charles Dunkin
Los Angeles – The prevention of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE, is now a high priority for the National Football League.
The National Football League has become a billion-dollar industry in the past decade; however, the league has had its share of missteps, player safety being one of them. In recent years, football players such as Steve Young, Troy Aikman and Jim Otto have become advocates for preventing CTE. Others like New England Patriots coach, Bill Belichick, along with player family members, and fans alike are demanding more precautions for players’ safety. Especially, given the increasing evidence on concussions and CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy; a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated head injuries that can lead to memory loss, confusion, depression and dementia.
In a 2013 FRONTLINE article, players and coaches noted their concern, disappointment and the need for league protocols when it comes to player safety and concussions. Drew Brees said, “I think certainly there were mistakes made in the past in regard to what people knew or how it was handled. But as we think about moving forward here, and especially when we talk about sports, there’s protocols that we need to be in place and need to be followed.” Patriots coach, Bill Belichick stated, “there’s nothing more important to a coach than the health of his team.” The article also states that family members have also spoken out to bring a more personal perspective to this important conversation.
Lisa Hudson, widow of New York Jets player Jim Hudson, recalls how her husband suffered at the hands of CTE. She remembers coming home one day only to find Jim sitting on the couch, clutching a golf ball, with tears streaming down his face. He had forgotten that the ball was in his hand and how to play the game.
Hudson was a collegiate all-star and clinched the Jets 1968 Super Bowl win with his famed interception. When he died, researchers discovered that Hudson suffered from stage VI CTE; the highest form of this brain trauma.
“You watch the life go out of someone’s eyes,” his wife Lisa said in an interview with me.
In response, the NFL has promised an on-going commitment to CTE awareness and technological innovations, like helmet protection, to help thwart brain injuries in the future. Due to player lawsuits, injury data and a mandate by the players’ association for player safety, the NFL has dedicated time, money and focus to ensure that CTE becomes a thing of the past.
The league had no choice. Earlier this year, in the largest update on CTE so far, Boston University and VA researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association that they found signs of the disease in nearly 90 percent of the 200 brains examined, including from 110 of 111 NFL players.
The impact of concussions has been a part of the game since its inception; however, the stories from the past are just being told– thanks to the bravery of veteran players who had to go to court to get the help they needed for their head injuries.
Hundreds of families understand too well the long-term impact for their loved ones. The disease causes irrefutable memory loss, depression, traumatic mood swings and in severe cases dementia– creating chaos and havoc for the player and their families.
For decades, the NFL has avoided dealing with the issues that surrounded CTE. Four years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected challenges to the estimated $1 billion plan by the NFL to settle thousands of concussion lawsuits filed by former players, clearing the way for payouts to begin to those who have been diagnosed with brain injuries linked to repeated concussions.
The settlement covered more than 20,000 retired NFL players for the next 65 years. The league estimates that 6,000 former players, or nearly three in 10, could develop Alzheimer’s disease or moderate dementia.
Bruce Matthews knows firsthand the risk and evolution of concussions over the past 30 years. Matthews played offensive tackle for the Houston Oilers as well as their succession team, the Tennessee Titans from 1983 to 2001.
During his 19 seasons in the NFL, Matthews witnessed the devastation from CTE to teammates and friends — players such as San Diego Charger Junior Seau, New York Giant Frank Gifford and Oakland Raider Ken Stabler.
Matthews’ own father, Clay Matthews Sr. suffered chronic traumatic encephalopathy from his stint as a player for the San Francisco 49ers. In a 2014 article, Matthews’ mother, Carolyn, noted the stages of transition for her husband, “At first, they said that Clay had a mild cognitive problem and that it was related to aging. But as it got worse, they did more testing and diagnosed him with CTE.”
Earlier this year, in the largest update on CTE so far, Boston University and VA researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association that they found signs of the disease in nearly 90 percent of the 200 brains examined, including 110 of 111 from NFL players.
The injury data below includes available statistics on a range of injuries, including numbers from 2012 – 2019 for the incidence of reported concussions in the preseason and regular season.
The NFL has partnered with Under Armor, General Electric and the U.S. Army to find new methods, materials and protocols; the league has also created an organization centered on tech innovation and prevention – The Head Health Challenge. It is an outgrowth of a four-year $60 million collaboration to accelerate diagnosis and improve treatment for traumatic brain injury.
The Head Health Challenge is a collaboration between the NFL and Duke University’s clinical and translational science institute – the program includes a series of innovation challenges intended to deepen understanding of and advance solutions in the areas of head protection, materials science, and kinematic measurement, among players.
The NFL has also created and implemented a Scientific Advisory Board, including subject-matter experts, doctors, scientists and clinicians to identify and present specific injury data to support the league’s $40-million commitment for research – dedicated to neuroscience.
So, what more can be done to protect players on the field?
On top of all of the new rule changes by the league, such as no helmet-to-helmet contact and the NFL has begun to look to innovations when it comes to player equipment. This includes banning certain types of previously approved helmets to encourage players to wear safer ones. The league has contracted with a start up company VICIS; a helmet manufacturing company who has developed a revolutionary helmet called the ZERO1. In a recent article, the company touts that their new helmet will protect players better than the current shells. “It is all in the helmet design due to its reliability and durability” says VICIS’ CEO, Dave Marver.
According to the company’s website, the helmet is made with layers (like an ogre or a parfait), and those layers work to lessen the impact of hits, both as they occur and over time. “The ZERO1’s multiple layers work together to slow impact forces,” according to the website. “The helmet features a soft outer shell and an underlying layer of columns designed to mitigate collisions from multiple directions.”
The helmet is designed with a series of plates that work in concert to reduce the trauma behind impact. As the helmet starts to fold and yield, it absorbs the impact of the hit and redistributes it throughout the helmet, rather than simply reverberating around a player’s head.
Speedier diagnoses would also allow team doctors to more efficiently determine if a player has suffered a mild or major concussion.
BrainScope, a medical neurotechnology company that is pioneering the assessment of brain injury, including concussion, has come up with a possible solution.
Their innovative device provides real-time data by placing a brain scanning headset on the injured player. The headset and mobile app can quickly and easily give the medical staff confirmation if the athlete has sustained trauma brain injury (TBI). Players can now be screened and assessed on the spot to keep them safe and off the field.
The innovations, rule changes and partnerships are showing signs of improvement. The number of diagnosed concussions NFL players suffered in 2018 dropped significantly, according to league data.
“New numbers released by the league in early January 2019, showed a 24 percent decrease in concussions during the preseason and regular season, from 281 in 2017 to 214 this season. The drop was particularly noteworthy in the regular season, when the number of diagnosed
Future plans include a pilot program that will place sensors in the mouthguards of players on four teams to collect even more detailed data about the kinds of impact that cause concussions and a challenge launching this spring to redesign helmets for improved safety.