The death of Vincent Jackson last February should have sparked further discussion about the ongoing issue of CTE in the NFL.
Yet, CTE is still a term that is often brushed under the carpet by NFL officials and even fans.
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The first case of CTE in a NFL player was discovered by Dr. Bennet Omalu in 2002. He discovered it during an autopsy of Mike Webster who was an extraordinary player who died unexpectedly. It is noted that Webster began to act strange and unlike himself before his sudden death.
In 2005, Dr. Omalu shared his research in a popular magazine called "Neurosurgery". He did this to raise awareness for CTE in the NFL. However, the NFL did not hold a concussion summit until 2007 and couldn't even conclude that head trauma or CTE is connected to tackle football!
It is noted that the NFL did not publicly acknowledge claims of CTE in football until 2009. In fact, it wasn't until 2016 when they testified to Congress that there is a link between CTE and pro football! Why did the NFL ignore doctor's claims for so long?
According to reports, Dr. Omalu was never even invited to the numerous concussion summits held by the NFL. Many experts believe the NFL tried to ostracize researchers who found cases of brain trauma in their players so the popularity of the NFL would not be put in jeopardy.
This careless act showed that those behind the NFL banner are selfish and arrogant and real change has to be made to make the game we all love safer. The first step must be to hold the NFL accountable for their actions and fight for change.
As for now, researchers of brain trauma can only warn those who choose to play football of the possible negative side effects. The NFL will keep encouraging the game of football despite there being no breakthrough technologies and innovations to make it safer for the future.
Notable players who have died from CTE:
-Junior Seau
-Mike Webster
-Vincent Jackson
-Philip Adams
-Chris Henry
-Paul Oliver
-Andre Waters
-Adrian Robinson
Sadly, the list goes on and on and will continue to unless the NFL takes responsibility and change is made.
#NFL #ESPN
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For those those who want to gain more knowledge on CTE and football, here are some great articles:
ucsusa.org/resources/nfl-…
theatlantic.com/health/archive…
enidnews.com/sports/godfrey…
#CTE #NFL #RogerGoodell #ESPN
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