Posts Tagged ‘NFL and concussions’
By Paul Stone On July 3rd, 2018
The NFL is sending a warning to teams about a type of preseason exercise the league believes contributed to a 73% increase in preseason concussions last year. The league’s data shows that preseason concussions increased from 26 in 2016 to 45 last year. The majority of them occurred during 11-on-11 training drills during the first…
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By Paul Stone On March 5th, 2018
Brett Favre has infamously only been knocked out once in his 20-year professional football career. The moment came on his very last play, capping off a record-breaking career with a devastating blow. However, it wasn’t his only concussion. Losing consciousness is considered one of the trademark signs of a concussion, but loss-of-consciousness only occurs in…
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By Paul Stone On January 5th, 2018
When Dallas Cowboy’s pass rusher David Irving experienced a concussion earlier this year, he probably didn’t expect to become a standout case for how brain injuries are mismanaged in both football and the larger medical community. But, after hiding his symptoms and getting into a car wreck shortly afterward, he has become just that. Irving…
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By Paul Stone On November 13th, 2017
The NFL is often far from forthcoming when it involves matters of concussions on the field, but last week they released a treasure trove of data collected from the past two seasons. For the study, called the Play Smart. Play Safe. initiative, the league reviewed footage of the 458 known concussions that occurred throughout the…
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By Paul Stone On August 1st, 2017
Nearly five years ago, the NFL responded to intense scrutiny over its handling of concussions and high-profile suicides like that of linebacker Junior Seau by publicly committing to donate $30 million to the National Institutes of Health for brain research. At the time, it helped to quell strong criticism and give the NFL the chance…
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By Paul Stone On April 27th, 2017
Just a few years ago, it looked like the NFL was on the ropes. Public concern about concussions was reaching a fever pitch, huge lawsuits about the league’s handling of concussions were being litigated, and a Hollywood blockbuster was being made dramatizing the efforts to cover up the scandal. My how things change. Thanks to…
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By Paul Stone On March 10th, 2017
Miami Dolphins tight end Jordan Cameron seemed determined to return to the NFL next year, but after four concussions he has decided it is time to call it quits. “I started thinking about concussions too much,” Cameron, 28, told ESPN. “You can’t play football like that.” The athlete has spent six seasons playing professionally in…
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By Paul Stone On December 15th, 2016
Anyone keeping up with the NFL knows about the league’s “concussion crisis” and the high risk of experiencing a brain injury playing the sport. However, it is often forgotten that concussions can happen anywhere, anytime. Green Bay Packer fans got a fresh reminder of this today, as Packers running back James Starks was sidelined for…
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By Paul Stone On July 26th, 2016
The NFL and NFL Players Association are working together to enact new policies that will make brain injury management be taken more seriously in the league. This week, the groups jointly announced that they have agreed to a new set of enforcement procedures which enact significant penalties for teams or players that violate the league’s…
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By Paul Stone On April 12th, 2016
It may not be a secret that the NFL is in the midst of a concussion crisis, but we are only starting to understand how bad the problem really is. A recent study found that 40% of retired NFL players show long-term signs of traumatic brain injury, a substantially higher rate than what is seen…
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