By Raven Copeland and Sea Sea Battle
Nigerian pathologist, Dr. Bennett Omalu’s job typically consisted of general autopsies and medical reports, but his examinations on retired NFL players changed the ethics of professional football.
Omalu detected the disease, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE in the brains of Terry Long and Andre Waters, two former Pittsburgh Steelers players who committed suicide.
Omalu’s discoveries caused more than 2,000 retired and former NFL players to sue the League for negligence and the failure to notify them of the severity of head trauma, but most importantly it caused the League to change its rules.
For the past five years, the League has imposed 39 rule changes to protect the safety and health of players, improve practice methods, and improve the education of players and officials on concussions.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81990bdf/article/new-nfl-rules-designed-to-limit-head-injuries
For instance, game officials will call fouls against a player who lowers his head and makes forcible contact with the crown of his helmet. Also, a player is prohibited from launching himself off the ground and using his helmet to hit a defenseless player in the head or neck.
In previous years, defensive players could hit receivers in the head when the receiver’s feet touched the ground, but Omalu’s findings and the suicide deaths of retired NFL players changed this rule.
The League also has implemented rules that focus on players who have suffered from concussions during games and practices. For instance, if one of the 32 NFL teams’ players has head injury, that team must consult with a neurologist.
University of Memphis offensive guard Trevon Tate commends the League for handling CTE in a professional and safe manner.
“CTE as a whole has been handled completely better than it used to be,” Tate said. “Players can’t just go back on the field after a serious hit because it’s an entire procedure we have to go through if we look like we have a concussion.”
Although college athletes are optimistic about the future of professional football, former NFL players like wide-receiver, Russell Copeland wishes the League would have informed him about the consequences of head trauma.
“My doctor noticed discrepancies in my brain and told me that I would most likely have dementia in my older years of age,” Copeland said. “After watching the movie “Concussion,” I realized the League failed to tell us about the life-long effects.”
Omalu’s findings showed that prolonged head injuries caused former football players to suffer from Alzheimer’s, dementia, and depression in the later parts of their lives, which are symptoms associated with concussions.
Concussions result in confusion, mood change, memory loss, and mood change, which are symptoms that are associated with the long-term effects of CTE.
Pam Webster, Mike Webster’s ex-wife witnessed these symptoms in Mike’s behavior and attitude.
“I realized he was always angry and couldn’t concentrate,” Pam said during an interview with Frontline. “He didn’t enjoy things. It seemed that his enjoyment was removed from his life.”
Mike, a former Pittsburgh Steelers center died from a heart attack at age 50. Prior to his death, Mike retired in 1990 and suffered with mental illness, which caused him to act erratic in public.
Shortly after conducting an autopsy on Mike’s brain, Omalu inspected Terry Long, a Steelers lineman who killed himself with antifreeze at age 45. During Long’s autopsy, Omalu discovered tau proteins in his brain, which impair moods and cognitive function.
Omalu discovered similar inconsistencies in Mike’s brain and determined the disease was CTE. Research also showed that 87 of 91 deceased NFL players tested positive for CTE, and affected males who played every position, except a kicker.
The League also released study results that showed former NFL players were suffering from memory-related diseases at a higher rate than the general population.
In 2015, a federal judge approved a $5 million lawsuit settlement between the League and its former players for medical conditions associated with prolonged head trauma. The settlement covers medical exams, litigation expenses, medical research for retired players and their families and concussion-related compensation.
A study conducted by the American Academy of Neurology detected that more than 40 percent of retired NFL players had signs of traumatic injury.
Copeland cringes at the fact that his beloved sport created these long-term effects, but he would not change a thing.
“The game we played back then was much rougher than what it is now,” Copeland said. “It’s unfortunate that it resulted in these type of consequences, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Copeland said.
On the other hand, some former professional football players feel guilty for causing other players to have concussions and believe they somehow are responsible for the deaths of the players they once played against.
http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2015/12/09/nfl-retired-players-watch-react-to-concussion-movie-will-smith
Although the National Football League has improved their rules, they continue to receive criticism for some of their actions, so it is important for them to continue creating new rules. For instance, a 2015 game between the St. Louis Rams and Baltimore Ravens caused the League to impose a new rule.
In November 2015, St. Louis quarterback, Case Keenum was slammed to the ground after throwing the ball late. Shortly after, Keenum tried to get up but fell back down and the Rams’ trainer inspected Keenum but returned to the sideline and kept him in the game.
It was revealed that Keenum suffered from a concussion and the presence of his trainer’s disengagement serves as one of the examples of head trauma not being taken serious.
The presence of Keenum’s injury caused the ruling of NFL teams to be disciplined for failing to assess a player who sustains a concussion. Team officials or medical professionals who improperly handle a player affected by head trauma are fined or lose potential draft picks.
The presence of these rule changes have had a positive impact on professional football.
In 2016, the QuintilesIMS Injury Surveillance and Analytics detected data that showed an 11.3 percent decrease (275 to 244) in concussions from 2015 to 2016. The data was collected from preseason and regular-season practices and games.
Also, the data found that there was an 8.7 percent decrease (183 to 67) in in-game concussions from 2015 to 2016.
Although there is a decrease in the amount of reported concussions, Dr. Mitchel Berger, member of the NFL’s Head, Neck, and Spine Committee hopes that more changes are imposed to greatly decrease this number.
“I’m encouraged that the numbers are down, but I’m still far from satisfied,” Berger said. “To get these numbers down we have to work with the medical committees and try to come up with some other ideas with how we can decrease the numbers.”
With the presence of these decreased numbers of concussions, NFL hopefuls, like Arthur Maulet and Tevin Jones are optimistic about the future of the sport.
“The NFL now prevents those types of plays that hit above the neck because it’s not competitive,” said Arthur Maulet, U of M cornerback. “I feel safe playing because I know the officials will make sure that everyone on the field is safe because football is very dangerous and one play can cause a serious concussion.”
“The league has made a big adjustment for the better and you can see it,” said Tevin Jones, U of M wide receiver. “There are more players who sit out just to be safe and more players are being punished for illegal hits that would hurt the opposing player.”
Copeland says he is glad that the League has imposed rules to possibly prevent the effects from head trauma and he hopes the number of injuries and suicide continue to decrease.
“It’s changed the game for the better and I’m ready to see the new changes the NFL has in store for the future,” Copeland said.
Seametrus Battle Jr. 