Original subtitles

Peewee coach: HARD WORK! Peewee players: HARD WORK!

Peewee coach: DEDICATION! Peewee players: DEDICATION!

Peewee coach: HARD WORK! Peewee players: HARD WORK!

Peewee coach: DEDICATION! Peewee players: DEDICATION!

I DIDN'T EVER TELL Y'ALL THIS LITTLE STORY, GUYS,

ABOUT DAVID AND GOLIATH,

THE BIG OL' GIANT AND THE LITTLE OL' DAVID.

THAT BIG OL' GIANT, IT WAS THE HURRICANES,

THE ONES THAT WAS ALWAYS BEATIN' UP ON EVERYBODY

'CAUSE THEY WERE GOOD AND BIG, RIGHT?

BUT IT WAS THIS LITTLE OL' GUY NAMED DAVID-- THAT'S Y'ALL--

LITTLE OL' BITTY GUY, HAD PLENTY OF COURAGE.

HE BELIEVED IN HIMSELF.

AND WHAT DAVID DID, HE GOT A LITTLE OL' ROCK,

A SMOOTH ROCK-- THIS YOUR ROCK, THAT HELMET--

AND HE RAN INTO THAT BIG OL' GIANT AND BOOM!

( crowd cheering )

( groans )

Announcer: THE FANS ARE LOVING IT!

♪

( crowd cheering )

All: OH!

Alan Schwarz: IT'S BEEN KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME

THAT BANGING YOUR HEAD OVER AND OVER

AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN CAN BE A BAD THING.

Stephen Colbert: WHY ARE YOU BASHING YOUR HEAD INTO A 300-POUND LINEMAN?

YOUR BRAIN IS SPONGE CAKE FLOATING IN A BONE BUCKET.

STOP NOW WHILE YOU DON'T HAVE TO WEAR A DIAPER.

( audience laughs )

( crowd cheering )

( groans )

Chris Nowinski: MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE,

THIS FRIDAY NIGHT, OVER A MILLION KIDS

WILL TAKE TO THE FOOTBALL FIELD...

ONE IN EIGHT BOYS IN AMERICA.

I'M CERTAIN THAT RADICAL MEASURES ARE NEEDED

FOR FOOTBALL TO CONTINUE SAFELY.

SO WITH A LIST OF CRIPPLED RETIRED PLAYERS,

A SHORTENED LIFE EXPECTANCY,

CHRIS, HOW REAL IS THIS PROBLEM?

Chris Nowinski: WHEN WE GOT THIS FORMER NFL PLAYER'S BRAIN,

WE SAW SOMETHING VERY STRIKING.

THERE'S AN ALARMING REPORT LINKING FOOTBALL AND DEMENTIA.

NOW I'M STARTING TO SEE PLAYERS WHO ARE YOUNGER THAN ME

WHO ARE HAVING NEUROLOGICAL ISSUES,

AND THESE PLAYERS ARE CALLING ME.

IN FACT, MANY EX-PLAYERS HAVE PROBLEMS...

GIRLS HAVING HIGHER RATES OF CONCUSSIONS THAN BOYS.

Man: PEEWEE HOCKEY TODAY IS NOT

THE PEEWEE HOCKEY WE PLAYED WHEN WE WERE KIDS.

THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE WOULD GIVE A REASONABLE PERSON PAUSE.

YOU'RE TALKING TO THE ATHLETES ABOUT DONATING THEIR BRAIN.

FIVE YEARS OF HEADACHES AND DEPRESSION

AND SHORT-TERM MEMORY PROBLEMS, COULDN'T GO BACK TO WORK...

ARE YOU ADVOCATING, MR. NOWINSKI,

THAT-- THAT PEOPLE NOT PLAY FOOTBALL?

Alan Schwarz: THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE.

YES, THERE ARE SOME THINGS

HAPPENING AT THE PROFESSIONAL LEVEL,

BUT WHAT IF SIMILAR THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR KIDS?

Chris Nowinski: PERSONALLY, IF I HAD A SIX-YEAR-OLD

OUT THERE PLAYING FOOTBALL,

I WOULD BE FREAKED OUT,

AND I THINK RIGHTLY SO...

BECAUSE YOU'RE PLAYING

RUSSIAN ROULETTE WITH THEIR FUTURE.

( whistle blows )

♪

I DIDN'T EVER WANT TO GO TO HARVARD

AND JUST PLAY FOOTBALL.

YOU KNOW, I HAD A REAL PASSION FOR FOOTBALL

AND I KNEW I HAD A COMMITMENT TO THE TEAM,

BUT, YOU KNOW, I KNEW I HAD OPPORTUNITY

TO GET THE BEST EDUCATION IN THE WORLD.

SO I NEVER WANTED TO LET MY ACADEMICS SUFFER.

I WAS A DEFENSIVE TACKLE.

YOU KNOW, I LINED UP OVER THE GUARDS...

AND EVERY PLAY,

A 280-POUND GUY TRYING TO KNOCK ME ON MY BUTT.

Announcer: THERE'S A SACK ON THE QUARTERBACK,

AND THAT IS CHRIS NOWINSKI.

I WAS JUST COLLIDING ON EVERY PLAY,

TRYING TO CONTROL THE GUY IN FRONT OF ME

AND CONTROL THE GAP.

I LOVED THE VIOLENCE OF IT.

I THOUGHT IT WAS THE GREATEST THING IN THE WORLD

WHEN YOU COULD PASS RUSH AND CATCH THEM UNDER THE CHIN.

THAT'S THE CLOSEST THING YOU CAN GET TO BEING A WARRIOR

WITHOUT ACTUALLY HAVING TO GO TO WAR.

YOU HAVE YOUR OWN TRIBE.

I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT AN NFL CAREER.

SO I GRADUATED AND I WAS LIKE,

DO I GO SIT IN A CUBICLE

AND RENT MY BRAIN TO BIG COMPANIES?

OR DO I GO TRY TO HAVE A LITTLE FUN?

( crowd cheering )

♪

WWE ANNOUNCED THEY WERE STARTING TOUGH ENOUGH--

A REALITY SHOW.

THIRTEEN KIDS LIVE IN A HOUSE, TWO OF THEM WIN CONTRACTS.

ONE PERSON'S KICKED OFF EVERY WEEK.

SO I DECIDED TO SEND IN A TAPE.

I'M 6'5", 265 WITH 10% BODY FAT.

I TRAIN AT KILLER KOWALKSI'S SCHOOL

AND ACTUALLY HAD MY FIRST MATCH THE OTHER NIGHT.

CHECK IT OUT.

I WANTED TO MAKE IT TO THE WWE,

AND THIS WAS GOING TO BE THE FAST TRACK.

AND I GOT SELECTED.

♪

I AM WILLING TO TO DO WHAT IT TAKES

TO BE ONE OF THE ELITE WRESTLERS DOWN THE LINE.

HOLD STILL PLEASE.

REALITY SHOWS HAVE TO HAVE GOOD GUYS AND BAD GUYS.

WE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE EVERYBODY

UNDERSTAND THAT HE WENT TO HARVARD.

SEE THE LITTLE HARVARD BOXER SHORTS THERE?

SO THE PRODUCER STARTED ASKING THE CAST

TO REFER TO ME AS "CHRIS HARVARD."

THERE WE GO.

AND AS SOON AS THAT HAPPENED,

I KNEW THAT I WOULD NEVER HAVE A CHANCE

TO BE A SYMPATHETIC CHARACTER WITH PEOPLE. ( laughs )

HARVARD WHAT? HARVARD SUCKS.

AND YOU ARE YALE'S WHAT? I'M YALE'S BITCH.

LET'S GO! LOUDER!

YALE'S NUMBER ONE! COME ON!

♪

THE CHARACTER WAS BASED ON

THE SILVER SPOON, RICH, SNOBBY KIDS.

AND IT WORKED FOR ME.

Announcer: WEIGHING IN AT 250 POUNDS,

HE IS THE ONLY HARVARD GRADUATE

IN WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT HISTORY...

CHRISTOPHER NOWINSKI!

AND SO I WAS ON MONDAY NIGHT RAW

18 MONTHS AFTER MY FIRST DAY IN THE RING.

AND WHAT MOST AMUSING WAS THE SHOW WAS DONE SO WELL,

THAT EVEN THE WRESTLERS IN WWE THOUGHT I WAS THAT GUY.

AND SO EVERYONE HATED ME IN THE LOCKER ROOM. ( laughs )

YOU PEOPLE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO HAVE SOMEONE

OF MY INTELLIGENCE IN YOUR PRESENCE.

( crowd boos )

BUT I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU PEOPLE CAN'T RELATE TO A GUY LIKE ME.

BECAUSE AFTER ALL, I AM A HARVARD GRADUATE.

PHYSICALLY, IT WAS THE HARDEST THING I EVER DID.

FAR HARDER THAN FOOTBALL.

Announcer 1: NOW WHERE'S NOWINSKI GOING?

THIS IS SOMETHING WE DON'T NORMALLY SEE.

Announcer 2: AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY.

I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WATCHING ON TELEVISION

CAN QUITE APPRECIATE HOW DANGEROUS IT REALLY IS.

THE MARGIN OF ERROR IS INCREDIBLY SMALL.

SO IF ANY TIMING OR ANYONE'S POSITIONING IS OFF BY INCHES...

SOMEONE'S GONNA GET HURT.

Announcer: THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN'T STUDY FOR AT HARVARD.

AND I REMEMBER THE TAG TEAM MATCH

IN JUNE OF 2003.

I HIT THE GROUND AND I FORGOT WHERE WE WERE.

I FORGOT WHAT WE WERE DOING IN THE RING.

I FORGOT THE STORY LINE.

I FORGOT WHAT WAS COMING NEXT.

I JUST REMEMBER THEY KEPT PINNING ME.

AND I COULDN'T REMEMBER IF THIS WAS THE ONE

I WAS SUPPOSED TO STAY DOWN ON FOR THE THREE-COUNT

OR THE ONE THAT I KICK OUT OF.

MY HEAD WAS KILLING ME.

AND YOU KNOW, I KIND OF WENT INTO A COLD, DARK PLACE

INSIDE THE CIVIC CENTER.

I REMEMBER BEING IN JUST MY SHORTS AND MY BOOTS

LAYING ON A COLD CONCRETE GROUND,

TRYING TO MAKE THE THROBBING GO AWAY.

SO THEN I WENT HOME AND THEN I WAS LIKE,

WELL, I GOTTA GO TO THE GYM EVERY DAY,

BECAUSE I GOT TO STAY IN SHAPE.

SO I'D GO TO THE GYM,

AND I'D GET NAUSEOUS AFTER 10 MINUTES.

IN MY MIND, WHEN I WOULD ONLY LAST 10 MINUTES

AND WOULD GET SICK, I THOUGHT THAT'S NOT A SIGN

I SHOULD NOT GO TO THE GYM,

THAT'S A SIGN THAT MY GOAL TOMORROW

SHOULD BE TO LAST 15 MINUTES. ( laughs )

AND IT WAS JUST, KNOWING WHAT I KNOW NOW,

THAT WAS REALLY STUPID.

I KEPT THINKING, I'M GONNA GET BETTER TOMORROW.

AND AFTER 12 MONTHS OF CONSTANT HEADACHES

AND SLEEPWALKING AND MEMORY PROBLEMS,

I JUST NEVER GOT BETTER.

AND SO THAT WAS THE LAST TIME I EVER GOT NEAR A RING.

A FRIEND SAID, "THERE'S A GUY

"WHO'S CONSIDERED A CONCUSSION GURU

"THAT'S NOT TOO FAR FROM YOUR PLACE.

MAYBE YOU SHOULD GO SEE HIM."

Dr. Robert Cantu: WELL, MY HISTORY GOES BACK A BIT.

IN 1986, I WROTE THE FIRST RETURN TO PLAY GUIDELINES

FOR PEOPLE AFTER A CONCUSSION.

Chris: I WALKED INTO DR. CANTU'S OFFICE

THINKING I HAD NEVER HAD A CONCUSSION IN MY LIFE.

HE SAID, "OKAY, WELL, HOW MANY TIMES

"HAVE YOU BEEN HIT IN THE HEAD AND YOU'VE SEEN STARS

OR YOU GOT DIZZY?"

Dr. Cantu: THE SKY CHANGES COLOR

OR NOT BEING ABLE TO REMEMBER THE PLAY

OR BEING STUNNED.

Announcer: THAT'S CHRIS NOWINSKI.

Announcer 2: YEP, THIS IS A TOUGH SITUATION.

Chris: "OR YOU GOT DOUBLE VISION? OR YOU WERE NAUSEOUS?

OR YOU BLACKED OUT?"

AND I WAS LIKE, "ALL THE TIME." ( laughs )

"IT'S ALL THE TIME. WHY?"

AND HE GOES, "WELL, THOSE ARE ACTUALLY CONCUSSIONS AS WELL."

I JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT

I HAD BEEN GLADLY EXPOSING MYSELF

TO REPETITIVE CONCUSSIONS FOR 19 YEARS

AND HAD NEVER HAD THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE

ABOUT WHAT A CONCUSSION WAS.

Dr. Douglas Smith: IT'S CALLED CONCUSSION

OR MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY,

BUT THERE'S NOTHING MILD ABOUT IT.

IT'S ONLY MILD COMPARED TO SEVERE BRAIN INJURY

IF SOMEBODY'S IN A HOSPITAL BED WITH TUBES AND EVERYTHING

FOR DAYS OR MONTHS.

♪

THE BRAIN IS ELASTIC, IT'S LIKE A JELLO MOLD.

AND IT WIGGLES AROUND.

IN A CONCUSSION, YOUR BRAIN CHANGES SHAPE VERY QUICKLY.

THE REALLY SENSITIVE AREA OF THE BRAIN IS THE WHITE MATTER

WHERE ALL THESE NERVE FIBERS

TRAVEL FROM ONE PART OF YOUR BRAIN TO ANOTHER,

ALLOWING YOUR BRAIN TO COMMUNICATE.

IN A CONCUSSION, THESE AXONS GET QUICKLY STRETCHED.

AND THAT CAUSES INJURY IN A VERY UNIQUE WAY.

IF I KIND OF MAKE A CYLINDER AND I PULL IT APART,

IT JUST GETS THINNER AND THINNER.

THE SAME MATERIAL, IF I APPLY THIS VERY DYNAMIC STRETCH...

IT'S HOW FAST I STRETCHED IT.

AND IT BROKE.

AND THAT RAPID STRETCH

DOESN'T BREAK THESE NERVE FIBERS,

BUT IT CAN DAMAGE PARTS OF THOSE NERVE FIBERS.

SO THEY'RE LIKE A GARDEN HOSE AND INSIDE ARE RAILROAD TRACKS

CALLED MICRO-TUBULES THAT TRANSPORT MATERIAL

BACK AND FORTH THROUGHOUT THE AXON.

AND IF YOU BREAK THE RAILROAD TRACKS,

ALL TRANSPORT STOPS.

IT'S LIKE THE TRAIN CAR JUST FELL OFF THE TRACKS THERE

AND EVERYTHING CAN PILE UP.

FOR EXAMPLE, THESE VERY STICKY, GLOMMY TAO PROTEINS.

AND OVER EVEN MORE TIME,

THE REST BREAK BECAUSE OF A CHEMICAL DESTRUCTION

OF THOSE MICRO-TUBULES.

IF YOU DISCONNECT THESE AXONS,

THEY'RE GONE FOREVER.

YOU CAN FUNCTION WITHOUT QUITE A FEW AXONS

AT A CERTAIN POINT, BUT YOU'RE AT A DISADVANTAGE.

♪

Chris: I BELIEVE COACH MURPHY'S ON RECORD

SAYING I WAS THE BEST ATHLETE OF OUR CLASS.

SOME DEBATED THAT.

YOU DON'T DENY THAT. HE HAD SAID THAT.

THERE'S SOME DEBATE OF THAT.

I'M JUST SAYING.

ISAIAH KACYVENSKI

WAS MY TEAMMATE IN COLLEGE.

WE WERE ROOMMATES AND SHARED A BUNK BED.

YEAH, BASICALLY MY BEST FRIEND.

AND HE WENT ON TO PLAY EIGHT YEARS IN THE NFL.

CLOSING IN ON ME!

( both laugh )

AND HE WAS A GUY WHO HAD A LOT OF CONCUSSIONS.

( grunting )

Isaiah: ARE YOU GONNA BE OKAY?

I THOUGHT THE WWE TOUGHENED YOU UP A LITTLE.

THAT WAS EIGHT YEARS AGO.

AND WHEN I STARTED HAVING THESE PROBLEMS,

I STARTED TALKING TO HIM ABOUT IT.

HE WAS LIKE, "I DON'T WANNA HEAR ABOUT IT.

"YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO GO DOWN THERE ON SPECIAL TEAMS

"AND BLOW UP WEDGES EVERY WEEK. THAT'S MY JOB.

"I'M GETTING DINGED ALL THE TIME.

I CAN'T BE THINKING ABOUT THE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES."

( grunts )

GOOD JOB. THANKS.

LET'S GO.

( grunts )

Isaiah: YEAH, SO THE FIRST CONCUSSION WAS...

I THINK IT WAS MY SECOND OR THIRD GAME WITH THE RAMS.

WE'RE RUNNING DOWN ON A KICK-OFF JUST ABSOLUTELY AMPED UP,

JUST TRYING TO BE A KAMIKAZE.

IT WAS THE ONE HIT IN MY ENTIRE LIFE

I HAVE NEVER SEEN COMING.

( groans )

AND I REMEMBER LOOKING UP AT THE SCOREBOARD

AND SEEING HALF OF IT JUST DISAPPEAR.

I REMEMBER GETTING UP AND TRYING TO WALK

AND REALIZING I WAS WALKING TO THE WRONG SIDELINE

AND FEELING AN ABSOLUTE EMBARRASSMENT.

I REMEMBER THE ONE THING THAT SCARED ME

WAS THEM HOLDING UP A SMELLING SALT

AND PUTTING IT RIGHT UNDER MY NOSE.

TOOK A HUGE WHIFF, NOTHING.

PUT TWO OF THEM UNDER THERE.

TOOK ANOTHER TWO MORE HUGE WHIFFS, NOTHING.

TWENTY MINUTES GO BY, UM...

SOME OF THE VISION'S BACK. IT WASN'T PERFECT.

AND I REMEMBER THE DOCTORS COMING BACK TO ME AND SAYING,

"ARE YOU READY TO GO BACK IN THE GAME?"

AND, UH...

I SAID YES.

I WENT BACK IN

AND FELT LIKE CRAP THE WHOLE WEEK AFTER THAT.

I REMEMBER WANTING THE TEAM DOCTOR

TO STEP IN TO SAY, "NO, HE CAN'T PLAY.

THERE'S NO WAY HE'S PLAYING." AND IT NEVER HAPPENED.

KICK-OFF, I PLAYED SPECIAL TEAMS.

I ALREADY HAD A 40-YARD HEAD START, FULL SPEED.

EVERYTHING OPENED UP. IT WAS JUST ME AND THE BALL CARRIER.

AND YOU HAVE THIS SPLIT-SECOND DECISION.

WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?

I REMEMBER COMING TO.

THE WHOLE SIDE OF MY BODY, MY FACE,

ALL THE WAY DOWN TO MY ARMS AND MY LEGS

WERE LIKE JUST ABSOLUTELY NUMB.

A LINEBACKER IN THE NFL

IS LIKE A SODA CAN YOU DRINK UP AND JUST CHUCK.

♪

Chris: WHEN YOU WOULD READ THE BIG STUDIES

ON HOW MANY CONCUSSIONS WERE HAPPENING

IN A SPORT LIKE FOOTBALL,

THEY WOULD SAMPLE 20,000 ATHLETES

AND THEY WOULD SAY, "WELL, 5% HAD CONCUSSIONS,"

AND THAT WAS ASSUMED TO BE FACTUAL.

BUT FOOTBALL PLAYERS

DON'T SPEAK UP WHEN THEY HAVE THESE SYMPTOMS.

SO I KNEW THAT NUMBER WAS WRONG,

BUT I DIDN'T KNOW HOW WRONG IT WAS.

SO I DUG AROUND AND FOUND SIX OTHER STUDIES

WHO'D ACTUALLY SURVEYED THE PLAYERS DIRECTLY

AND TAKEN THE WORD "CONCUSSION" OUT OF THE QUESTION

AND FOUND THAT IT WASN'T 5% OF PEOPLE GETTING CONCUSSIONS,

IT WAS 50%.

AND SO YOU DID THE QUICK MATH ON THAT,

YOU KNOW, 50% OF FOOTBALL PLAYERS

HAVE SYMPTOMS AFTER A HIT TO THE HEAD,

AND EACH ONE IS SUPPOSED TO SIT OUT A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME,

YOU REALIZE THAT FOOTBALL IS VIRTUALLY UNSUSTAINABLE.

BECAUSE IF YOU DIAGNOSE EVERY CONCUSSION,

YOU HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE ON THE SIDELINE,

YOU CAN BARELY PLAY THE GAME.

AND THAT'S WHAT HELPED ME REALIZE THAT,

WELL, EITHER WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE TERMS OF THE ARGUMENT

OR WE HAVE TO STOP PLAYING THE GAME,

OR WE HAVE TO FIND A SOLUTION.

IN 2004, I STARTED WRITING FURIOUSLY,

COMPILING THE DATA WITH MY STORY AND OTHER STORIES

INTO HEAD GAMES,

THE GOAL BEING IF YOU READ THIS BOOK,

YOU WON'T THROW AWAY YOUR CAREER LIKE I DID.

THEN I REALIZED I HAD NO IDEA HOW YOU GET A BOOK PUBLISHED.

I SAW THE MANUSCRIPT, I STILL REMEMBER MY REACTION.

IT WASN'T THE MAIN NARRATIVE,

IT WAS THE FOOTNOTES THAT BLEW ME AWAY.

I MEAN, THIS GUY HAD REALLY DONE HIS WORK.

Chris: SO THE BOOK CAME OUT IN NOVEMBER OF 2006.

IN IT, I WROTE A CHAPTER

ABOUT THE BRAINS OF TWO FORMER NFL PLAYERS,

TERRY LONG AND MIKE WEBSTER, WHO DIED YOUNG,

AND THEY WERE DIAGNOSED WITH

CHRONIC TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY.

Mike Webster: THE GAME OF FOOTBALL IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

IS NOT AT ALL LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE PERCEIVE IT.

IT'S NOT A GAME.

I THINK IT'S A WAR, MYSELF. ( laughs )

Alan Schwarz: WHEN MIKE WEBSTER DIED IN 2002,

HIS BODY ENDED UP ON THE TABLE OF A CORONER

WHOSE NAME WAS BENNET OMALU, A NEURO-PATHOLOGIST.

AND HE SAID, "I WONDER IF THIS FOOTBALL PLAYER--

"BECAUSE THESE GUYS GET THEIR HEADS BANGED AROUND A LOT--

"I WONDER IF HE HAS ANY OF THE BRAIN DAMAGE

ASSOCIATED WITH BOXERS."

SO JUST ON A HUNCH, HE DID THE STAINS OF THE BRAIN TISSUE

THAT TO THAT POINT HAD NOT BEEN DONE ON ANY FOOTBALL PLAYER.

AND LOW AND BEHOLD, IT CAME OUT POSITIVE.

WOW. IT'S NOT JUST BOXERS WHO GET THIS.

( crowd cheering )

Dr. Ann McKee: IN THE 1920s, LAY PEOPLE AND SPORTS WRITERS

CALLED BOXERS WHO HAD BEEN IN THE RING

"SLUG NUTTY" AND "PUNCH DRUNK," "GOOFY."

AND THEY ALSO CALLED IT "DEMENTIA PUGILISTICA."

THAT GAVE IT A MORE MEDICAL TERM.

SOMEHOW ALONG THE LINES, PEOPLE STARTED TALKING ABOUT

CHRONIC TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY

AND THAT WAS THE NAME THAT SORT OF STUCK.

WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS DISEASE,

I THINK ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING THINGS

IS HOW EXTRAORDINARILY DENSE THE PATHOLOGY IS.

IT'S LIKE PATHOLOGY ON STEROIDS.

IN A NORMAL BRAIN, THERE WOULD BE

ABSOLUTELY NO BROWN VISIBLE WHATSOEVER,

EVERYTHING WOULD LOOK THIS LIGHT, LIGHT CREAM COLOR.

BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S TREMENDOUS ABNORMALITIES

THROUGHOUT THE GREY MATTER.

SOME PLACES, IT'S EXTREMELY DENSE.

AND THEN LOOK AT IT UNDER THE MICROSCOPE,

AND I HAVE IT HERE,

YOU CAN SEE A TREMENDOUS LOSS OF NERVE CELLS.

THE REMAINING CELLS ARE SCARRED

AND FILLED WITH THIS ABNORMAL TAO PROTEIN,

WHICH DISTURBS THE CELL AND CAUSES IT TO MALFUNCTION.

AND EVENTUALLY IT DIES.

SO WE'LL CUT INTO THE BRAIN.

REALLY SMALL HIPPOCAMPUS NOW.

THAT'S THE MEMORY COMPONENT.

HE'S GOT SHRINKAGE OF THAT PART OF THE BRAIN.

THIS DISEASE HAS THESE VERY DIFFICULT SYMPTOMS.

IT DESTROYS SORT OF YOUR PERSONALITY

IN A WAY THAT OBSERVERS THINK,

"ARE THEY JUST HAVING A MID-LIFE CRISIS?

ARE THEY HAVING SOME SORT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL OR ADJUSTMENT REACTION?"

BUT ACTUALLY IT'S STRUCTURAL BRAIN DISEASE.

Alan Schwarz: BY THIS TIME,

IT'S CAUSING SOME RIPPLES IN THE NFL,

BUT NOTHING IN THE POPULAR PRESS,

AND NOTHING CERTAINLY IN THE POPULAR CONSCIOUSNESS.

Chris: YOU LOOK FOR A DISEASE

THAT PEOPLE THOUGHT WAS A ONE-IN-A-MILLION SHOT

AND THE FIRST TWO FOOTBALL PLAYERS TESTED HAVE IT,

YOU'D THINK PEOPLE WOULD TALK ABOUT IT.

BUT IT WASN'T NEWS ANYWHERE.

Alan Schwarz: TOWARD CHRISTMAS OF 2006, THE PHONE RINGS.

IT'S CHRIS NOWINSKI SAYING,

"I HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA PROBABLY BE PRETTY BIG.

"AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH IT.

AND YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO EVER TOOK ME SERIOUSLY."

AND IT WAS THE ANDRE WATERS SUICIDE.

Chris: ANDRE WATERS COMMITTED SUICIDE

NOVEMBER 20th, 2006.

AND HE WAS A COACH AND HE WAS WORKING

AND IT WASN'T MONEY PROBLEMS, AND IT SEEMED KIND OF BIZARRE.

ANDRE WATERS WAS KNOWN AS ONE OF THE HARDEST HITTING

DEFENSIVE BACKS OF HIS GENERATION,

PLAYING IN THE MID-TO-LATE-80s THROUGH THE EARLY-90s.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CHRIS NOWINSKI DID

WHEN HE LEARNED OF THE SUICIDE

WAS TO SAY, "GEE, I WONDER IF HE HAD

A SIGNIFICANT HISTORY OF HEAD TRAUMA."

YOU KNOW WHEN YOU MADE A PERFECT HIT,

WHEN YOU HEAR THE GUY GRUNT,

ESPECIALLY RUNNING BACK,

AND THEN HE COME RUNNIN' THROUGH THE HOLE AGAIN

AND HE SEES YOU.

I LIKE TO HIT THINGS.

I CAN GET ALL MY FRUSTRATION OUT ON THE FIELD.

Chris: AND I WAS SHOCKED TO FIND

THAT HE WAS QUOTED IN THE NEWSPAPER

SAYING HE STOPPED COUNTING HIS CONCUSSIONS AT 15

AND HE WOULD JUST GRAB SMELLING SALTS AND KEEP PLAYING.

Alan Schwarz: WHEN CHRIS HAD THE HUNCH

THAT ANDRE WATERS MIGHT HAVE HAD CTE,

HE CALLED UP BENNETT OMALU AND SAID,

"IF I CAN GET SOME BRAIN TISSUE FOR YOU TO EXAMINE,

WOULD YOU DO IT?"

THE WAY I ORIGINALLY CRAFTED THAT STORY,

I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST GOING TO BE CHRIS

HAVING TO CONVINCE THE FAMILY TO DONATE THE BRAIN.

AND THE TIMES EDITORS, TO THEIR CREDIT, SAID,

"HEY, WAIT A MINUTE, WAIT A MINUTE, THERE'S NEWS HERE."

Jason Stallman: A FORMER NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYER

KILLS HIMSELF WITH A GUNSHOT WOUND

AND A RESEARCHER LINKS

THE DAMAGE IN HIS BRAIN TO FOOTBALL.

THAT'S ALL THAT NEEDED TO BE SAID.

AND I FEEL LIKE THAT WAS WHAT ELEVATED IT TO THE FRONT PAGE.

Alan Schwarz: THE ANDRE WATERS STORY

RAN DURING THE PLAYOFFS.

I DON'T REMEMBER IT... MATTERING THAT MUCH,

'CAUSE THERE WERE GAMES TO BE PLAYED.

♪

Chris: THE REACTION TO ALAN'S ARTICLE WAS DENIAL.

I MEAN, IT WAS SHOCKINGLY NEGATIVE.

I WASN'T TOO SURPRISED BECAUSE IN HEAD GAMES,

I HAD DISSECTED HOW THE NFL

HAD KEPT THIS ISSUE HIDDEN FROM THE PUBLIC VIEW.

THEY SPENT A LOT OF MONEY AND A LOT OF TIME

TRYING TO CONVINCE THE WORLD THAT CONCUSSIONS

DON'T HAVE ANY NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES.

Alan Schwarz: WHAT FOOTBALL BEGAN TO APPRECIATE

IN THE LATE-70s AND 80s

WAS HOW GUYS LIKE ROGER STAUHBACH, STEVE YOUNG,

TROY AIKMAN APPEARED TO BE HAVING

MORE AND MORE PROBLEMS WITH CONCUSSIONS.

THEY WERE MISSING TIME.

THESE VERY VALUABLE COMMODITIES WERE NOT PLAYING.

"GEE, I WONDER IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT

HOW TO KEEP THEM ON THE FIELD."

SO IN 1994, PAUL TAGLIABUE FORMED A COMMITTEE

CALLED THE MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY COMMITTEE.

AND IT ALLOWED THE LEAGUE TO SAY,

"LOOK, WE HAVE THIS COMMITTEE OF DOCTORS,

THEY ARE INDEPENDENT," THEY CLAIMED,

ALTHOUGH MANY OF THEM WERE ON THE PAYROLL OF NFL TEAMS.

NONETHELESS, IT'S BEING CHAIRED

BY THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THE LEAGUE.

NONETHELESS, THEY'RE INDEPENDENT.

THEY BEGAN TO ASSESS WHAT THE EFFECTS

OF CONCUSSION WERE IN NFL PLAYERS.

AND SO BY THE FIFTH, SIXTH, SEVENTH

OF WHAT BECAME A 13-PAPER SERIES,

THEY BEGAN MAKING STATEMENTS

ABOUT HOW EVERYTHING WAS HUNKY DORY IN THE NFL,

HOW THESE PLAYERS WERE NOT SUFFERING FROM ANY PROBLEMS.

THEIR DATA SHOWED THAT THERE ARE NO COGNITIVE EFFECTS

IN THESE PLAYERS.

THE PROBLEM WAS IF YOU LOOKED VERY CAREFULLY

AT THE LANGUAGE THAT THEY WERE USING,

THEY WERE MAKING STATEMENTS THAT YOU CAN'T MAKE.

IF THE OLDEST GUY THAT YOU STUDY IS 35,

YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY CONCLUDE

THAT CONCUSSIONS DON'T HAVE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES.

IF SOMEBODY ACTUALLY DID HAVE CONCUSSION PROBLEMS

AND HAD TO RETIRE,

THEY WOULD DROP OUT OF THE STUDY.

SO THEY WOULDN'T BE FOLLOWED UP ON.

THEY ALSO HAD SOME MATHEMATICAL ERRORS

THAT WERE PRETTY EASY-- I LIKE TO THINK.

I MEAN, A SPORTS WRITER FOUND THEM, OKAY?

WELL, I THINK THERE WAS MORE THAN BAD SCIENCE.

I HONESTLY THINK THERE WAS A POINT OF VIEW

OF TRYING TO BE PROTECTIVE OF THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE.

IN MOST OTHER SPORTS, THE CHANCE OF INJURY IS INCIDENTAL.

IN FOOTBALL, THE CHANCE OF INJURY

AND LONG-TERM SERIOUS EFFECTS IS FUNDAMENTAL.

AND NO HONEST PERSON CAN WATCH THIS SPORT

AND NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.

Gene Atkins: IT'S JUST LIKE A BOXER.

IF YOU BOX SO MANY YEARS

AND KEEP GETTING HIT IN THE HEAD,

SOONER OR LATER SOMETHING'S GONNA HAPPEN TO THE BRAIN.

♪

Chris: GENE ATKINS IS A FORMER NFL PLAYER

WHO PLAYED STRONG SAFETY

FOR THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AND MIAMI DOLPHINS.

GENE WAS KNOWN AS A BIG HITTER.

HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH AT LEAST A COUPLE CONCUSSIONS,

ALTHOUGH HE REMEMBERS MANY MORE.

HE TALKED ABOUT TIMES WHERE HE WOULD SEE DOUBLE

AND GRAB A GUYS JERSEY TO FIND HIS WAY TO THE HUDDLE

AND WAIT FOR IT TO CLEAR UP.

I MEAN, HE WAS TOUGH, HE DIDN'T WANNA EVER COME OUT.

WHEN THE ANDRE WATERS STORY WENT PUBLIC,

THE EX-WIFE OF GENE ATKINS SENT ME AN EMAIL SAYING,

"GENE IS EVERYTHING THAT I READ ABOUT ANDRE WATERS--

THE MEMORY PROBLEMS, THE IMPULSE CONTROL ISSUES."

HE WAS IN A VERY DARK PLACE.

THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS

HE SURVIVED MULTIPLE SUICIDE ATTEMPTS.

I'VE BEEN THERE. I UNDERSTAND HOW IT FEELS TO WANNA TAKE YOUR LIFE.

AND IT'S A SCARY FEELING BECAUSE

EVERY DAY I WAKE UP IS A CHALLENGE FOR ME.

I'M JUST A MESS RIGHT NOW.

Chris: WHEN I SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVENE,

I WAS ABLE TO RAISE SOME MONEY TO FLY GENE OUT,

ALONG WITH HIS CURRENT WIFE, TO SEE DR. CANTU,

WHO SPENT HOURS EVALUATING HIM.

Dr. Cantu: 9, 7, 8, 4, 3, 2...

THOSE DIGITS, TELL ME WHAT THEY ARE.

REPEAT THEM. 9, 7, 8, 4, 3, 2.

9, 7, 8...

4, 3, 2. 4, 3, 2.

GENE, REPEAT THE MONTHS OF THE YEAR BETWEEN JANUARY--

LET'S FIND SOMETHING ELSE. AND JUNE.

PARDON ME?

JUST PICK SOMETHING ELSE TO DO 'CAUSE I CAN'T DO THAT.

TRY.

JANUARY... MAY... APRIL...

Chris: I WOULD SAY GENE ATKINS IS CERTAINLY NOT ALONE.

CAN YOU DO IT SEQUENTIALLY?

LIKE JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL...

Chris: THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE

THAT ARE IN THE PRIME OF THEIR LIVES,

BUT THEIR BRAIN HAS NOT STAYED WITH THEM.

JUNE...

WHAT'S BEFORE JUNE?

JULY?

♪

HERE'S ANOTHER DATA POINT.

LINEMEN SUSTAIN 60% OF THEIR IMPACTS IN PRACTICE,

54% IN TIGHT ENDS, 52 RECEIVERS,

31% IN QUARTERBACKS.

IMPACT ACCELERATIONS TO HEAD ALSO VARY BY...

Chris: IN RESPONSE TO THE HUGE ACTIVITY

ON THIS ISSUE IN 2007,

THE SPORTS LEGACY INSTITUTE WAS FOUNDED.

DR. CANTU AND I REALIZED THAT THERE NEEDED TO BE WORK

ON EDUCATION AND POLICY DRIVEN OFF OF THE RESEARCH

TO KEEP THESE ATHLETES SAFER.

I MEAN, SO MAYBE THAT'S PART OF THE IDEA, TOO, IS THAT MAYBE

DRIVE TO PUT THE STAKE IN THE GROUND TO GET PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT IT

AND THEN SEE WHAT COMES OF IT, YEAH.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO PUT TOGETHER

A COMMITTEE OF COACHES FOR...

Chris: WHEN SPORTS LEGACY INSTITUTE

AND BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE PARTNERED,

WE CREATED THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY

OF TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY.

AND NOW DR. STERN HEADS THE CLINICAL RESEARCH,

DR. McKEE HEADS THE PATHOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND BASIC SCIENCES,

DR. CANTU IS OUR CONCUSSION EXPERT,

AND THEN MY ROLE IS FACILITATE THE RESEARCH.

Woman on phone: I'M SORRY, WHO IS THIS?

THIS IS CHRIS NOWINSKI FROM BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.

Chris: AND WHEN AN ATHLETE PASSES AWAY...

I READ ABOUT HIS PASSING TODAY. AND I'M REALLY SORRY TO BE CALLING.

I KNOW I'M THE LAST PERSON IN THE WORLD YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM...

Chris: IT'S MY JOB TO CALL THE FAMILY TO SEE IF THE BRAIN'S AVAILABLE.

Dr. Robert Stern: WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO DURING THIS CALL

IS TO GO OVER THE RESULTS OF DR. McKEE'S EXAMINATION

OF YOUR HUSBAND'S BRAIN, BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO

IS START OFF BY GIVING A SUMMARY BECAUSE

WE KEEP OUR INFORMATION SEPARATE.

SO THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME

THAT DR. McKEE REALLY HEARS THE WHOLE STORY.

CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY?

Woman on phone: YEAH, I HEAR YOU GREAT.

OKAY, YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND WERE HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS,

SO YOU'VE REALLY GROWN UP WITH HIM.

Dr. Stern: AFTER DR. McKEE HAS COMPLETED

HER EXAMINATION OF THE BRAIN,

WE'LL ALL GET TOGETHER ON THE PHONE

WITH THE FAMILY MEMBERS.

HE WAS A BOXER, STARTING AT AGE 9,

AND WAS A CHAMP.

HE WAS IN AROUND 98 BOUTS,

AND IN THE RING, ONLY ONE KNOCKOUT.

FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, HE HAD BEEN SHOWING SOME

PROBLEMS WITH MEMORY, ATTENTION, PLANNING, AND ORGANIZATION.

IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, HE COULDN'T EVEN HOLD A THOUGHT.

HIS BEHAVIOR BECAME QUITE OUT OF CONTROL.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE WEEK BEFORE HE DIED,

HE WAS RESPONDING TO YOUR 14-YEAR-OLD SON'S WISH

FOR GETTING SOME HELP GETTING READY FOR A TRIP,

UH, AND, UH...

HE THEN WOUND UP TRYING TO SUFFOCATE

YOUR SON TO TEACH HIM A LESSON.

HE WAS SEEN PSYCHIATRICALLY AND THEN HE DECIDED

TO TAKE HIS LIFE IN FRONT OF YOU

BY THE GUNSHOT WOUND

WITH THE KIDS, UM, RIGHT NEXT DOOR.

THIS IS A GUY WHO WAS A GREAT FATHER AND HUSBAND,

AND THEN BECAME A DIFFERENT PERSON.

Dr. McKee: THEN IT GOES TO ME

AND I SAY WHAT I SAW IN THE BRAIN.

IT'S INCREDIBLY HARD

BECAUSE YOU FEEL SO MUCH FOR SOME OF THESE FAMILIES.

WELL, AS YOU KNOW, WE RECEIVED THE TISSUE

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER.

AND WE DID FIND

IN MOST OF THE PIECES OF CEREBRAL CORTEX

DENSE ACCUMULATIONS OF THAT PROTEIN TAO

THAT WE DO SEE BUILD UP IN THE BRAINS OF INDIVIDUALS

THAT HAVE CHRONIC TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY.

AND I WOULD SAY IT WAS VERY SUBSTANTIAL

FOR AN INDIVIDUAL WHO DIED AT THE AGE OF 40.

Woman on phone: WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE COULD HAVE DONE, HAD WE KNOWN?

Dr. Stern: NO, WE'RE SO EARLY IN THE STUDY OF THIS DISEASE

THAT WE JUST DON'T HAVE ANSWERS,

YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF TREATMENT CAN BE DONE.

HOPEFULLY IT GIVES YOU SOME AMOUNT OF COMFORT

KNOWING THAT YOUR HUSBAND WAS REALLY STRUGGLING

WITH A STRUCTURAL DISEASE AND THAT HE WASN'T,

YOU KNOW, JUST IN THE THROES OF SOME PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER.

Woman on phone: IT DOES BRING ME GREAT COMFORT,

BUT IT ALSO BRINGS ME THIS GUILT

BECAUSE I WAS SO ANGRY WITH HIM.

IT HURTS ME TO THINK HE WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN.

YEAH.

Woman on phone: I'M SO THANKFUL.

IT GIVES CURTIS A LITTLE BIT OF SELF-RESPECT BACK.

IT'S A REAL GIFT.

Dr. Stern: ANYTHING WE CAN DO FOR YOU,

WE'RE HERE FOR YOU.

Woman on phone: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ALL RIGHT, TAKE CARE.

Woman on phone: THANK YOU. BYE-BYE.

( sighs )

Alan Schwarz: IN JUNE OF 2007, THE LEAGUE,

IN LARGE MEASURE BECAUSE OF THE STORIES THAT WE HAD BEEN RUNNING,

HELD A SUMMIT OF ALL THE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM EVERY TEAM,

AS WELL AS SOME LEAGUE OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS THE STATE OF THE RESEARCH.

JUST BEFORE THIS, A FOURTH PLAYER

HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH CHRONIC TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY.

A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT, WELL, THAT'S ONLY FOUR GUYS.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T MAKE STATEMENTS BASED ON FOUR GUYS.

AND I KNEW THAT YOU COULD, BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING

THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN IN THE GENERAL POPULATION.

I GOT AN INTERVIEW

WITH THE COMMISSIONER DURING A BREAK,

AND I RECORDED THE CONVERSATION WITH HIS PERMISSION.

ROGER GOODELL: THERE'S NO RECORD OF A CONCUSSION.

HE MAY HAVE HAD THE CONCUSSION SWIMMING.

HE PLAYED IN THE LEAST RISKIEST POSITION.

Alan Schwarz: HE COULD HAVE HAD A CONCUSSION SWIMMING?

Roger Goodell: MY BROTHER HAD A CONCUSSION SWIMMING.

HE HIT HIS HEAD ON THE SIDE OF THE POOL.

COME ON, ALAN, IT DOES HAPPEN.

A CONCUSSION CAN HAPPEN

IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES.

Alan Schwarz: FOUR OUT OF FOUR.

ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT ALL FOUR MEN

SUSTAINED THEIR DAMAGE IN FIELDS OTHER THAN FOOTBALL?

Steve James: STOP IT RIGHT THERE FOR A SECOND.

TAKE US BACK A LITTLE BIT, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING

IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS CONVERSATION?

I'M SCARED OUT OF MY MIND.

DO YOU REALLY WANNA KNOW? I'M SCARED OUT OF MY MIND.

I'M STANDING THERE TALKING TO THE COMMISSIONER OF THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE,

BASICALLY DUMPING AT HIS FEET A PROBLEM

THAT I KNEW IN MY BONES WAS GOING TO BE IMMENSE FOR HIM.

AND IN A WAY, I WAS BECOMING THE MATH TEACHER THAT I HAD ALWAYS PLANNED ON BEING.

ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS GET HIM TO UNDERSTAND THE PROBABILITIES AT WORK HERE,

THAT IT WASN'T JUST ME BEING IN A PAIN IN THE ASS,

IT WAS THE FACT THAT WHEN YOU'RE FOUR OUT OF FOUR

FOR A MILLION-TO-ONE SHOT, SOMETHING'S UP.

Alan Schwarz: SO AT THE END OF 2009,

I GET A CALL FROM A SOURCE OF MINE

WHO HAS A DOCUMENT THAT HE NEEDS ME TO SEE.

"WHAT IS IT?"

"I CAN'T TELL YOU. TRUST ME."

SO WE MEET AT A RESTAURANT IN NEW YORK,

AND HE PASSES IT OVER,

AND IT'S A STUDY THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

HAS DONE OF RETIRED NFL PLAYERS,

ASKING THEM ALL SORTS OF HEALTH RELATED QUESTIONS:

DO YOU HAVE HEART DISEASE? ARTHRITIS? DEPRESSION?

KIDNEY FUNCTION? THERE'S LIKE 50 PAGES.

AND THEIR FINDING WAS THAT THE NFL PLAYERS LOOK LIKE

THEY'RE A PRETTY HAPPY AND HEALTHY GROUP.

BUT IF YOU LOOKED AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE 37 OR SOMETHING,

THERE'S THIS ONE LITTLE SECTION.

AND IT TALKED ABOUT HOW THEY HAD ASKED,

HAVE YOU BEEN DIAGNOSED BY A PHYSICIAN AS HAVING

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE OR OTHER MEMORY-RELATED DISEASE?

AND THERE WERE THE RATES.

FROM AGE 30 TO 49,

1.9% HAD SAID YES.

SO IT WAS 19 TIMES THAT OF THE NATIONAL POPULATION.

WELL, IT HADN'T BECOME PUBLIC YET.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT EVER WOULD HAVE BECOME PUBLIC

HAD IT NOT BEEN LEAKED TO ME.

AND THAT WAS THE GAME CHANGER.

Lou Dobbs: THERE IS A NEW REPORT FROM THE NFL.

IT'S AN ALARMING REPORT LINKING FOOTBALL AND DEMENTIA.

IN OTHER MEMORY-RELATED DISEASES, HOW MUCH HIGHER?

NINETEEN TIMES. NINETEEN TIMES.

NINETEEN TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HAVE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

OR MEMORY-RELATED DISEASES

THAN MEN WHO NEVER PLAYED PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL.

Alan Schwarz: AND CONGRESS,

WHICH HAD SHOWN SOME INTEREST IN THIS SUBJECT BEFORE,

WAS JUST WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO ACT UPON.

THIS WAS WHAT THEY WERE WAITING FOR.

COMMISSIONER GOODELL,

IS THERE A LINK BETWEEN PLAYING PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL

AND CONTRACTING A BRAIN-RELATED INJURY

SUCH AS DEMENTIA, ALZHEIMER'S, DEPRESSION, OR CTE?

CHAIRMAN, THE MEDICAL EXPERTS SHOULD BE THE ONE

TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT DEBATE.

BUT OUR BOTTOM LINE IS,

WE'RE NOT WAITING FOR THAT DEBATE TO CONTINUE.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR GAME IS SAFE.

AND WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN

TO CREATE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH OUR PLAYERS.

IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY TO SET--

WELL YOU'VE TESTIFIED TO THAT. YES.

BUT I JUST ASKED YOU A SIMPLE QUESTION. WHAT'S THE ANSWER?

THE ANSWER IS THE MEDICAL EXPERTS WOULD KNOW BETTER THAN I WOULD.

Alan Schwarz: HE'S THE COMMISSIONER OF THE LEAGUE, HE'S NOT A SCIENTIST.

AND ONE COULD ARGUE THAT HE SHOULDN'T NECESSARILY KNOW THE ANSWERS TO THESE THINGS.

...OUR COMMITMENT TO MAKE SURE WE MAKE THE SAFEST POSSIBLE--

ALL RIGHT, OKAY, I'VE HEARD IT.

IT SORT OF REMINDS ME OF THE TOBACCO COMPANIES...

Alan Schwarz: LINDA SANCHEZ WAS NOT MINCING WORDS.

...THERE'S NO LINK BETWEEN SMOKING AND, UM...

Alan Schwarz: SHE BASICALLY SAID,

"YOU HAVE A HEALTH PROBLEM WITH YOUR PRODUCT

AND YOU'RE COVERING IT UP." THIS IS WHAT SHE SAID.

"YOU ARE LIKE THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY."

AND THOSE WORDS DID NOT SIT WELL WITH ROGER GOODELL.

Rep. Maxine Waters: NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF HELMET YOU BUILD,

NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF EQUIPMENT THAT YOU HAVE,

IT IS A DANGEROUS SPORT.

THE ONLY QUESTION IS, ARE YOU GOING TO PAY

FOR THE INJURIES THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED

IN HELPING YOU TO BE A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR OPERATION?

Alan Schwarz: AND HE LEFT THOSE HEARINGS

KNOWING THAT HE HAD A REAL PROBLEM.

THERE WAS A PROBLEM, AT LEAST IN PERCEPTION

AND PROBABLY IN REALITY,

AND IT WAS TIME FOR CHANGE.

AND EVERY WEEK,

THERE WAS A NEW CHANGE IN THE NFL.

PLAYERS WERE NO LONGER ALLOWED TO GO BACK INTO GAMES

AFTER HAVING SUSTAINED A CONCUSSION.

Dr. H. Hunt Batjer: THE DEFINITION OF CONCUSSION

HAS BECOME MUCH MORE CONSERVATIVE

TO INCLUDE THINGS LIKE FEELING DINGED

OR A BIT OF CONFUSION, SEEING STARS,

DIZZY OR VERTIGINOUS OR POOR BALANCE.

ALL THOSE THINGS ARE SIGNS OF CONCUSSION.

Dr. Cantu: CRACK BACK BLOCK CAN'T BE TO THE HEAD.

YOU CANNOT HIT A DEFENSELESS PERSON

IN THE ACT OF CATCHING A BALL BEFORE THEY'VE SECURED IT

OR THROWING THE BALL.

THE WEDGE HAS BEEN REDUCED FROM FOUR MEN TO TWO MEN,

BECAUSE THE PERSON BREAKING THE WEDGE

WAS LARGELY USING HIS HEAD TO DO IT.

Alan Schwarz: MAYBE WE CAN GET AWAY WITH LOSING THESE THINGS

BECAUSE THE REST OF THE GAME IS STILL GOOD ENOUGH

THAT PEOPLE WON'T REALLY MISS IT THAT MUCH.

I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY WHO DOESN'T WATCH FOOTBALL ANYMORE

BECAUSE THERE'S NO HEAD SLAPS.

"OH, MAN, YOU KNOW I LOVE THOSE HEAD SLAPS.

"THERE'S NO HEAD SLAPS ANYMORE. THAT AIN'T FOOTBALL.

WHY DON'T WE JUST PUT A SKIRT ON THEM."

AND THEN YOU HAD THE RESIGNATIONS OF THE TWO GUYS

WHO WERE THE HEADS OF THE COMMITTEE WHO HAD BEEN SAYING FOR SO LONG,

"THERE'S NOTHING TO SEE, FOLKS,

MOVE ALONG, MOVE ALONG, NOTHING TO SEE HERE."

Dr. Cantu: COMMISSIONER GOODELL HAS SPEAR-HEADED RULES CHANGES.

THEY COMPLETELY CLEANED HOUSE

WITH THE PREVIOUS MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY COMMITTEE.

THEY HAVE PUT IN PLACE

A BRAND-NEW HEAD, NECK, AND SPINE COMMITTEE

THAT HAS UNIVERSITY NEUROSURGERY CHAIRS AS CO-DIRECTORS.

THEY EVEN PUT PROBABLY THEIR BIGGEST CRITIC

AS THE SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE GROUP.

Steve James: THAT WOULD BE YOU?

THAT WOULD BE ME, YES.

THEN I GOT A CALL FROM A REPORTER ON A SUNDAY MORNING.

I PICK UP THE PHONE AT MY HOUSE ON A SUNDAY

AND IT'S SOME CBS REPORTER WHO'S ASKING...

"HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE MILLION DOLLARS

THE NFL'S GONNA GIVE BOSTON UNIVERSITY?"

AND I SAID, "I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT."

THE OFFER WAS MADE THROUGH THE MEDIA.

IT WOULD BE HARD TO SAY THAT

IT WASN'T PARTIALLY DESIGNED AS A PR STUNT.

I'M STILL CONCERNED THAT THEIR CONCERN IS MOSTLY DEFENSIVE,

TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AGAINST THIS

RATHER THAN TO PROTECT THE PLAYERS.

Chris: THE MEDICAL SCHOOL RECOMMENDED

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WE ACCEPT ANY MONEY FROM THE NFL

UNLESS IT WAS AN UNRESTRICTED GIFT.

THEY WEREN'T TELLING US WHAT TO STUDY OR HOW TO STUDY IT,

THEY JUST SAID, "HERE'S A MILLION DOLLARS,

DO WITH IT WHAT YOU WILL TO ADVANCE RESEARCH ON CTE."

Alan Schwarz: AND THEN AT THE END OF DECEMBER,

THE LEAGUE UTTERED FOR THE FIRST TIME

THAT CONCUSSIONS HAVE LONG-TERM EFFECTS

IN NFL ATHLETES.

THERE'S ADEQUATE INFORMATION NOW

ON A NUMBER OF AUTOPSIES THAT ANN McKEE HAS DONE.

THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT REPETITIVE HEAD TRAUMA

CAN CAUSE PERMANENT DAMAGE.

Peewee coach: SAFETY FIRST, SAFETY FIRST.

CLEAR!

YEAH!

( whistle blows )

Peewee coach: PRIOR TO LAST YEAR,

I HAD VERY LITTLE KNOWLEDGE OF CONCUSSIONS.

WHAT, Y'ALL GONNA QUIT ON ME?

YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOME STATISTICS THAT SAID

THAT 85% OF THE CONCUSSIONS GO UN-DIAGNOSED

BECAUSE PEOPLE LOOK AT THEM

AS JUST BUMPS OR BRUISES TO THE HEAD.

COME ON, GUYS, I NEED FOR Y'ALL TO SPREAD KNUCKLE DOWN.

IT'S ALL OR NEVER, BABY.

AND IF ONE OF OUR CHILDREN GETS HURT OUT ON THE FIELD,

A CONCUSSION, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES

IS HE GOING BACK OUT TO PLAY.

WE LET HIM KNOW, "HEY, GOOD JOB, TAKE IT OFF FOR THE DAY.

EDDIE, WATCH MY LEFT.

HEY, HEY, HEY, HEY, CHRIS. HEY, WATCH 14, JAM HIM.

GET HIM! GET HIM!

GET HIM! GET HIM! GET THE BALL!

THAT'S A BLOCK IN THE BACK.

GET HIM. GET THE BALL.

( whistle blows )

THAT'S ALL RIGHT. COME ON. THAT'S ALL RIGHT, GUYS.

THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

DON'T Y'ALL GIVE UP ON ME. YOU HEAR ME?

MAKE THE STORY ABOUT DAVID AND GOLIATH COME TRUE.

DAVID CAME BACK.

WE NEED TO PLAY BETTER THAN WE'RE PLAYING, GUYS.

( crowd cheering )

Announcer: OH, PACIORETTY IS DOWN FACE FIRST!

News anchor: WELL, IT HAS BECOME

ONE OF THE MOST PERPLEXING ISSUES IN HOCKEY.

CONCUSSIONS HAVE ALTERED THE LIVES OF FAR TOO MANY ATHLETES.

Announcer: THIS IS A MASTICATING HIT!

Announcer: SERIOUS HEADACHES FOR THE NHL.

I KNOW THAT YOU'VE WORKED IN THE WRESTLING

AND THE FOOTBALL FIELDS THE MOST.

WITH TODAY'S NEWS, HOCKEY IS OBVIOUSLY A HIGHER PROFILE.

UNFORTUNATELY I THINK MORE PEOPLE ARE RETIRING FROM HOCKEY, FROM THE NHL,

THAN ARE FROM THE NFL FROM CONCUSSIONS.

SO THAT'S CERTAINLY A SIGN

THAT THE CONCUSSION ISSUE IS VERY SEVERE.

Keith Primeau: I STARTED PLAYING PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY WHEN I WAS 18 YEARS OLD.

PHYSICAL, HARD, SKATING, POWER FORWARD.

CREATE HAVOC IN THE CORNERS,

CREATE HAVOC IN THE FRONT OF THE NET,

AND TRY AND SCORE A DIRTY GOAL.

Announcer: SHOOTS AND SCORES! WHAT A GOAL BY KEITH PRIMEAU!

OVER THE COURSE OF MY CAREER, I HAD A COUPLE 30-GOAL SEASONS,

A HANDFUL OF 20-GOAL SEASONS.

SO I WAS CAPABLE OF PUTTING THE PUCK IN THE NET.

Announcer: PRIMEAU SCORES! THERE IT IS!

KEITH PRIMEAU WINS THIS GAME IN THE FIFTH OVERTIME!

THE SERIES EVEN AT TWO GAMES A PIECE.

FOR ME, THE BEGINNING OF MY DEMISE

WAS MY SECOND DOCUMENTED CONCUSSION

IN THE PLAYOFFS IN MAY OF 2000,

WHERE I WAS OUT AT CENTER ICE.

Announcer: WHOA! PRIMEAU GOT LEVELED!

AND HE DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.

HE CAUGHT EVERY PART OF ME AND I WAS DOWN.

I WAS PROBABLY OUT FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME,

WHETHER IT WAS 10, 15 SECONDS.

TAKEN OFF THE ICE ON A STRETCHER,

ONLY TO RETURN TO PLAY TWO NIGHTS LATER.

I WAS OF THE SAME MINDSET AS EVERYBODY ELSE,

THAT I DIDN'T TAKE THE INJURY SERIOUSLY.

I THOUGHT IT WAS A PHANTOM INJURY,

THAT THERE WERE PLAYERS THAT WEREN'T NECESSARILY

SUFFERING THROUGH POST-CONCUSSION

SO MUCH AS THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A BREAK.

EVERYBODY PLAYED WITH BUMPS AND BRUISES.

THERE WASN'T A GUY WHO WASN'T PLAYING THROUGH SOME TYPE OF INJURY OR PAIN.

AND SO YOU NEEDED TO FIND A WAY TO TOUGH IT OUT.

AND THERE WAS NOTHING YOU COULD SAY OR DO

THAT WAS GOING TO CHANGE MY MIND OR THAT MENTALITY.

DOCUMENTED CONCUSSION NUMBER THREE,

I TOOK AN ELBOW TO THE SIDE OF THE HEAD.

AND I THOUGHT I WAS FINE.

I CAME HOME AND MY WIFE LOOKED AT ME

AND SAID THAT I DIDN'T LOOK WELL

AND THAT I SHOULD PROBABLY NOT PLAY IN TWO DAYS' TIME.

SHE KNEW THAT I WASN'T RIGHT.

THAT HAPPENED ON A THURSDAY NIGHT,

AND SATURDAY I WAS DRIVING TO THE RINK BY MYSELF,

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I GOT EXTREMELY MOTION SICK.

I COULDN'T FOCUS AND HAD TO CALL THE TRAINER

AND SAY, "I DON'T FEEL RIGHT."

AND I TURNED AROUND AND WENT HOME.

IT WAS SIX FULL WEEKS OF CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS

THAT I HADN'T EXPERIENCED BEFORE.

AFTER THAT CONCUSSION, IT WAS A CHALLENGE FOR ME

TO FOCUS IN PREPARATION FOR GAMES.

I KNEW HOW FAST THE GAME MOVED,

AND NOW I FELT AS THOUGH I WAS MAKING

A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO MOVE AT THAT SPEED.

Gary Dorshimer: PROBABLY THE ONE PLAYER

THAT I'VE WORKED WITH THE LONGEST ABOUT CONCUSSION

WAS KEITH PRIMEAU.

MOTION JUST WAS A BIG PROBLEM.

AND HE WAS VERY SLOW TO RECOVER.

AND HE WAS VERY FRUSTRATED BECAUSE HE WANTED TO PLAY,

BUT REALIZED HE COULDN'T.

Keith Primeau: FOLLOWING MY FOURTH DOCUMENTED CONCUSSION,

I STEPPED INTO THE HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER'S OFFICE AND I SAID,

"I THINK I'LL BE READY. ANOTHER WEEK I'LL BE SET TO GO."

BUT YOU KNOW, I NEED THAT. I NEED ANOTHER WEEK."

HE KINDA SAT THERE AND LISTENED TO ME.

AND WHEN I WAS DONE, HE SAID,

"KEITH, WE APPLAUD YOUR COURAGE

"AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS,

BUT I'LL NEVER GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO PLAY AGAIN."

AND AT THAT POINT, MY CAREER WAS OVER.

MY SENSE WAS THAT OF RELIEF.

I WAS RELIEVED.

Brendan Shanahan: YOU KNOW, IN HOCKEY,

THEY HAVE TO TAKE THE STICK OUT OF YOUR HANDS.

AND I ALWAYS FELT THAT ABOUT MYSELF AS A PLAYER.

♪

I WON'T JUST LAY IT DOWN.

Announcer: SCORES! SHANAHAN! WHAT A SHOT!

I WAS A PHYSICAL PLAYER,

SIMILAR TO KEITH PRIMEAU.

WE PLAYED SIMILAR STYLES.

I WAS LUCKY IN THAT I HAD ONE DIAGNOSED CONCUSSION.

I'M SURE I PROBABLY HAD A FEW EARLIER IN MY CAREER.

SO WHEN THEY APPROACHED ME AND ASKED ME TO TAKE OVER

THIS NEW DEPARTMENT OF PLAYER SAFETY,

I FELT THAT I COULD HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE GAME.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN CHICAGO,

AN INCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE GAME BETWEEN

THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS AND THE DETROIT RED WINGS.

AT 5:26 OF THE THIRD PERIOD, DETROIT DEFENSEMAN BRENDAN SMITH

DELIVERED AN ILLEGAL HIT TO THE HEAD

OF CHICAGO FORWARD BEN SMITH,

CAUSING HIM TO LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS.

AS THE VIDEO SHOWS...

Chris: THE NHL THIS YEAR,

THERE IS A STRONG PUSH NOT ONLY TO PENALIZE PLAYERS

BUT TO EDUCATE THEM IN WHY THEY'RE BEING PENALIZED

AND SAY, "THIS IS THE FUTURE OF THE WAY WE'RE GONNA PLAY,

AND YOU BETTER COME ALONG."

I'LL START WITH THE PREMISE THAT AS LONG

AS WE CONTINUE TO PLAY HOCKEY,

THERE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE HEAD INJURIES.

THERE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE BRAIN INJURIES.

BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE PLAYERS WANNA STOP PLAYING

AND CERTAINLY DOESN'T WANNA MAKE FANS STOP WATCHING THE GAME.

IT'S A BIG ISSUE RIGHT NOW, BUT AS AS A PLAYER,

USUALLY IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE LIKE TO TALK ABOUT.

I GUESS WE'RE SUPERSTITIOUS

ABOUT INJURIES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

Brendan Shanahan: IT'S OUR GOAL TO ELIMINATE

AS MANY NEEDLESS INJURIES AS WE CAN

AND TO BE VERY CLEAR AND EDUCATIONAL

WHEN WE MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.

IT'S WHY WE DO THE VIDEOS.

I HAVE SUSPENDED HIM FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE PRESEASON

PLUS 5 REGULAR SEASON GAMES.

HERE AT THE NHL, I'M THE NEW ENFORCER.

News anchor: NHL ENFORCER DEREK BOOGAARD,

HE DIED EARLIER THIS YEAR FROM A DRUG OVERDOSE.

News Anchor: FORMER NHL HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION BOB ROBERT

WHO DIED RECENTLY AT THE AGE OF 45, HE SUFFERED FROM THIS.

News anchor: IT SHOWED THE 28-YEAR-OLD SUFFERED FROM A BRAIN DISEASE

AND THE DAMAGE WAS MORE EXTENSIVE THAN EXPECTED.

THE RESULTS HAVE SOME CALLING FOR CHANGES TO THE GAME.

Ruben Echemendia: THERE ARE LEAPS TO CONCLUSIONS.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU SAY THAT JUST BECAUSE

THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS AN ENFORCER AND WE FOUND TAO PROTEINS

BUILDING UP IN HIS BRAIN IN AN UNUSUAL WAY,

WHICH IS CTE,

THAT BEING AN ENFORCER LEADS TO HAVING CTE,

AND THAT MAY HAVE LED TO DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE.

AND AGAIN, THAT'S CONNECTING THE DOTS IN A WAY

THAT ISN'T SUPPORTED BY THE SCIENCE RIGHT NOW.

THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE GAPS IN SCIENCE

AND WE CANNOT TAKE VIRTUALLY ANY DISEASE

FROM A TO B TO C TO Z,

BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT THE BODY OF EVIDENCE

OVER THE LAST 80 YEARS.

YOU KNOW, IF YOU SEE THAT EVERYBODY

WHO'S EVER DEVELOPED THIS DISEASE

TOOK EXTRAORDINARY BRAIN TRAUMA,

YOU COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT TRAUMA IS CAUSING THIS.

WE'RE OUT OF OTHER OPTIONS.

AND THERE IS ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO START CHANGING WHAT WE DO.

WELL, AS THE LEAGUE HAS SAID THAT, YOU KNOW,

FIGHTING DOES CONTRIBUTE TO CAUSING CONCUSSIONS.

Steve James: SO DO YOU GUYS MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS OR DO YOU JUST REPORT?

NO, OUR ROLE IS NOT TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS BUT RATHER TO REPORT THE FACTS.

Bill Daly: THE LEAGUE IS COMING UP ON ITS 100th ANNIVERSARY.

FIGHTING HAS ALWAYS BEEN PART OF THE GAME.

YOU CAN'T JUST SNAP YOUR FINGERS AND SAY, "MAKE IT GO AWAY."

Dr. Cantu: THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITY

IS A BIT OF AN ENHANCEMENT FOR A SEGMENT OF THE CROWD.

BUT I'D LOVE TO SEE IT OUT,

'CAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S PART OF HOCKEY.

Announcer: WHOA! KEITH PRIMEAU JUMPED McKEVIN FROM BEHIND!

AND RHETT WARNER DIDN'T LIKE IT!

Keith Primeau: I WASN'T A FIGHTER.

UM, I FOUGHT PLENTY.

I AVERAGED, OVER THE COURSE OF MY CAREER,

A HALF-DOZEN FIGHTS A YEAR.

THERE WAS ALWAYS A PURPOSE FOR MY FIGHTING.

I WAS STICKING UP FOR TEAMMATES, STICKING UP FOR MYSELF,

TRYING TO CHANGE THE TEMPO OF A GAME.

Chayse Primeau: SOMETIMES I GO ON YOUTUBE, WATCH HIS FIGHTS.

( laughs )

Steve James: IS IT NICE HAVING A DAD THAT WAS THAT TOUGH?

YEAH, PROTECTIVE

( laughs )

HE'S PROBABLY SAW A FEW FIGHTS.

YEAH, THEY DON'T PUT THE GOALS ON YOUTUBE.

THEY'RE YOUTUBING THE ALTERCATIONS.

Chayse Primeau: NEXT YEAR, THE GAME WILL GET MORE PHYSICAL

AND FASTER, CAUSE WE'RE GETTING OLDER.

I'LL BE 15 NEXT YEAR.

I MEAN, EVEN NOW, TODAY,

OUR TEAM'S BEATING THAT TEAM FIVE-NOTHING.

THEY THINK THEY HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO DO,

SO THEY START GETTING PHYSICAL.

WHEN WE WENT IN FRONT OF THE NET,

THEY STARTED PUSHING AND SHOVING.

PART OF THE GAME.

IF I HAVE TO GET IN A FIGHT, I'M GONNA.

BUILDS CHARACTER, I GUESS.

Steve: HAVE YOU BEEN IN FIGHTS?

NOT LIKE DROP THE GLOVES, BUT YEAH, I'VE BEEN IN A FIGHT.

Steve: AND WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?

IT WASN'T THAT HARD.

I THOUGHT IT WAS PRETTY FUN. ( laughs )

Keith Primeau: TO SEE CHAYSE GET IN A FIGHT IN A GAME

WOULD DISAPPOINT ME.

BECAUSE YOU CAN BE THERE FOR YOUR TEAMMATE,

YOU CAN SHOW YOUR COMMITMENT, YOU CAN SHOW THAT COURAGE,

ALL AT THE SAME TIME, NOT HAVING TO DROP YOUR GLOVES.

( crowd cheering )

AS A HOCKEY TRADITIONALIST,

I'VE HELD STEADFAST OF THE BELIEF

THAT THERE'S A PLACE IN THE GAME FOR FIGHTING.

I ACCEPTED THE INHERENT RISK. I WAS A WILLING COMBATANT.

WITH MORE THOUGHT, I REALLY WONDER

IF THERE IS A PLACE FOR FIGHTING IN THE GAME,

ULTIMATELY, IF WE'RE GOING TO PROTECT OUR PLAYERS

THE BEST WE POSSIBLY CAN.

WHAT HAPPENS IF, IN A GAME, WE HAVE

HALF THE GUYS COMPETING AND HALF THE GUYS AREN'T? WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN?

WE'RE GONNA LOSE. WE'RE GONNA LOSE.

SO YOU GOT HALF THE GUYS DOING THE DRILL RIGHT

AND HALF THE GUYS CHEATING AND CUTTING IT OFF.

DO IT RIGHT.

THROW ME THE PUCK.

I STILL SUFFER THROUGH SYMPTOMS.

HEADS UP.

OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST TWO YEARS,

I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SAY THAT I'M IN A GOOD PLACE,

ONLY TO REGRESS-- HEADACHES AND HEAD PRESSURE,

EXTREMELY FATIGUED, DIFFICULTY WITH VISION,

LIGHT-HEADED, IRRITABLE.

IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT I TALK TO PLAYERS WHO HAD GONE THROUGH THE SAME PROBLEMS I HAD.

AND I, AT FIRST, I WAS HESITANT,

BUT THEN I FOUND SOME REAL COMFORT AND SOLACE

IN HEARING THEIR STORY

AND KNOWING THAT I WASN'T LOSING MY MIND,

THAT WHAT I WAS FEELING,

WHAT I WAS SUFFERING THROUGH WAS GENUINE.

I KNOW THAT I'VE DAMAGED MY BRAIN.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE I AM 20 YEARS FROM NOW.

I NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE BRAVE

AND WORK TOWARDS THE END GOAL,

WHICH IS 100% RECOVERY.

COME ON, DON'T QUIT. DON'T QUIT. DON'T QUIT.

THERE YOU GO. ( laughs )

( crowd cheering )

Announcer: USA WILL BEND IT ACROSS.

GOAL PARLOW!

Cindy Parlow Cone: I WAS 17, YOUNGEST PLAYER EVER

TO WIN AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL AND A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO PLAY IN THREE OLYMPICS,

WINNING TWO GOLD MEDALS AND A SILVER.

ANNOUNCER: DRIVES IT ACROSS, CHASTAY, PARLOW, DOUBLE HEADER!

GOAL PARLOW!

I'M ALMOST SIX FEET TALL.

AND YOU CAN'T BE THIS TALL AND NOT COMPETE IN THE AIR.

I SCORED 50% OF MY GOALS WITH MY HEAD.

YOU HEAR A LOT ABOUT FOOTBALL AND HEAD INJURIES,

BUT A NEW STUDY SHOWS THAT SOCCER

MAY COME WITH SOME RISKS, TOO.

Alan Schwarz: GIRL SOCCER PLAYERS

REPORT CONCUSSIONS MORE OFTEN THAN BOY SOCCER PLAYERS.

SAME AS BASKETBALL.

AND THEY ALSO SEEM TO RECOVER MORE SLOWLY THAN BOYS.

SO THIS WAS NOT JUST A BOYS' FOOTBALL INJURY.

Announcer: WE TOLD YOU HOW ROUGH IT IS.

WATCH THE TUGGING, THE PUSHING, THE GRABBING, THE KICKING.

ALL THE FOULS...

Cindy: FROM HEAD TO TOE, IT'S A CONTACT SPORT.

Announcer: ROUGH STUFF.

IN 2001, I WAS PLAYING

FOR THE WOMEN'S UNITED SOCCER ASSOCIATION.

MY POOR PARENTS WERE WATCHING THE GAME

ON TV AT HOME IN MEMPHIS

AND THEY SEE ME, I GO UP FOR A HEADER

AND ACTUALLY ONE OF MY OWN TEAMMATES HITS ME IN THE TEMPLE.

Announcer 1: HOOPER! AND TWO PLAYERS ARE DOWN.

IS THAT PARLOW? PARLOW AND HOOPER.

Announcer 2: I THINK THEY HIT HEADS.

I DON'T REMEMBER GETTING HIT.

I REMEMBER WATCHING THE BALL COME TO MY HEAD

AND I WAS TRYING TO TIME IT CORRECTLY

AND THEN THE NEXT THING, EVERYONE STANDING OVER ME,

SEEING IF I'M OKAY.

Announcer: BALLS IN THE AIR, THEY'RE BOTH TRYING TO HEAD IT.

NO QUESTION ABOUT IT, THEY ABSOLUTELY CLOCKED EACH OTHER.

NOW BOTH PLAYERS HAVE GOT TO BE SHOOK UP...

AND SO I ACTUALLY CONTINUED TO PLAY UNTIL HALF TIME.

Announcer: SHE'S WOOZY, THOUGH, YOU CAN SEE IT.

SHE'S ABLE TO SMILE, BUT I TELL YA...

I DIDN'T SEE WHAT THE BIG DEAL WAS.

A COUPLE DAYS AFTER, THE HEADACHE WAS GONE,

I DIDN'T HAVE TOO MANY SYMPTOMS,

AND I WANTED TO GET BACK AT IT.

KNOWING WHAT I KNOW NOW,

I AM SO THANKFUL THAT THEY SAT ME OUT

AND WOULDN'T LET ME PLAY.

AFTER MY FIRST CONCUSSION WHERE I WAS KNOCKED OUT,

EVERY TIME I WOULD DO HEADING IN PRACTICE

OR IA REALLY HARD HEADER IN THE GAME, I WOULD SEE STARS.

SO, SOME PEOPLE CONSIDER THAT CONCUSSION.

I'M NOT REALLY SURE, BUT IF YOU COUNT ALL THOSE,

WE'RE TALKING TRIPLE DIGITS.

Steve: WAIT, SO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAD OVER 100 CONCUSSIONS

WHERE YOU SAW STARS OF SOME SORT?

Cindy: OH, YEAH, AT LEAST.

I'VE SEEN A LOT OF STARS. ( laughs )

I REMEMBER WHEN I TOLD MY PARENTS

THAT I WAS RETIRING IN 2004

BECAUSE OF MY POST-CONCUSSION SYNDROME.

THEY WERE ACTUALLY ANGRY AND DISAPPOINTED A LITTLE BIT,

IN ME, AND THAT I WANTED TO RETIRE.

I THINK THEY FELT LIKE I WAS JUST QUITTING.

I WOULD RATHER THEM THINK THAT THAN TO REALLY KNOW THE TRUTH

AND WHAT'S BEHIND IT.

THEY KNOW ABOUT MY HEADACHES,

THEY KNOW OBVIOUSLY ABOUT ALL THE MEDICATIONS

THAT I'VE BEEN ON TO PREVENT THEM,

BUT I DON'T THINK THEY REALLY KNOW

HOW MUCH IT INTERRUPTS WITH MY DAILY LIFE.

I ALWAYS KEEP MY GPS ON.

I'LL BE DRIVING AROUND ROADS I KNOW BY HEART

AND FORGET WHERE I AM.

HAD A STUTTER FOR A LITTLE BIT.

I'M GONNA WORRY MY FAMILY NOW TELLING YOU ALL THIS. ( laughs )

MY PARENTS DON'T NEED TO KNOW ALL THIS, RIGHT?

♪

WHEN YOU'RE YOUNG, PARENTS TRY TO PROTECT THE KIDS.

( whistle blows )

OUCH!

AND AT SOME POINT, IT'S ROLE-REVERSAL.

Laura Rounce: SOCCER'S BEEN IN HER LIFE AND IN OUR LIFE

SINCE SHE WAS ABOUT 6 MONTHS OLD.

Mary Rounce: I WANT TO PLAY DIVISION 1 COLLEGE SOCCER.

I MEAN, IF I GOT DRAFTED, THAT'D BE PRETTY COOL.

( laughs )

Laura Rounce: UNFORTUNATELY,

BECAUSE SHE'S SUCH AN AGGRESSIVE PLAYER,

SHE HAS NOT ONLY GOTTEN ONE CONCUSSION,

BUT PROBABLY FOUR.

Mary Rounce: I REMEMBER AFTER THE FIRST ONE,

I WAS JUST LIKE, "OH, MY GOD, MY HEAD HURTS SO BAD."

AND I WENT TO TAKE A GOAL KICK, 'CAUSE I DIDN'T GO OUT,

I DIDN'T WANT TO STOP PLAYING,

SO I WENT TO TAKE THE KICK AND I WAS LIKE,

I WAS LIKE SEEING DOUBLE AND STUFF, SO...

Laura Rounce: YOU JUST HEARD HER SAY IT HURT REALLY BAD,

SHE HAD DOUBLE VISION,

SHE DIDN'T PULL HERSELF OUT OF THE GAME,

SHE DIDN'T TELL THE COACH, AND SHE DIDN'T TELL US.

Mary Rounce: I DON'T WANNA QUIT BECAUSE OF INJURIES.

IT'S JUST WHAT I LOVE TO DO.

I CAN'T JUST, LIKE, DROP IT.

SHE'S PRETTY GOOD AT BEING TOUGH.

SO IF IT'S "I CAN'T TELL MY MOM 'CAUSE THEN I'M DONE,"

SHE MIGHT NOT TELL ME. RIGHT?

( choir singing )

THERE IS A CONCEPT OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE.

SOME OF US DEAL WITH DISEASE,

ILLNESS, HARDSHIP, OR HEARTACHE.

WE GRIEVE THE LOSS OF THOSE WHOM WE HAVE LOVED.

WHEN HE WAS BORN, HE CAME OUT JUST SCREAMING...

AND SO MUCH SO THAT HE HAD TWO VEINS HERE

THAT WERE JUST OUT...

RED HAIR, AND THE DOCTOR SAID, "HE'S A VIKING."

AND THAT'S OWEN:

A VIKING FULL OF PASSION.

News anchor: OFFICIALS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SAY A FOOTBALL PLAYER FROM LEHIGH COUNTY

WAS FOUND DEAD IN HIS OFF-CAMPUS APARTMENT.

JUNIOR OWEN THOMAS,

WHO GRADUATED FROM PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL,

WAS FOUND YESTERDAY...

Eric Laudano: THERE WAS NOTHING LEADING UP TO HIS SUICIDE,

AS FAR AS I CAN SEE.

HE WAS AN INCREDIBLE STUDENT AT AN INCREDIBLE UNIVERSITY,

ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD,

AND HE WAS CONSTANTLY SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.

HE PLAYED DEFENSE AND HE WAS AN AGGRESSIVE PLAYER

AND HE WAS VOTED CAPTAIN OF OUR TEAM.

AND OWEN WAS A PERSON ON OUR TEAM

THAT EVERYONE LOOKED UP TO,

AND IT HIT EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY HARD.

AND IT STILL DOES TODAY.

Chris: YOU KNOW, WHEN I HEAR ABOUT THESE THINGS,

MY JOB IS TO FIND A WAY TO GET THEIR BRAIN.

FOR ME, IT WAS A SPECIAL CASE.

THIS WAS AN IVY LEAGUE DEFENSIVE LINEMAN,

AND I WAS AN IVY LEAGUE DEFENSIVE LINEMAN.

IT WAS LIKE LOSING ONE OF YOUR OWN.

SO I TALKED TO HIM QUITE EXTENSIVELY ON THE PHONE

AND I SAID, "YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIND ANYTHING

BECAUSE HE NEVER HAD ANY DOCUMENTED CONCUSSION."

THAT'S FINE. I SAID, "I HOPE WE DON'T FIND IT."

FRANKLY, I'D LOVE TO NOT FIND IT IN MORE BRAINS

BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE ALMOST EVERY BRAIN WE GET, WE FIND IT.

♪

Jeffrey Geisel: OWEN WAS AN OUTSTANDING PERSON,

AN OUTSTANDING ATHLETE.

OWEN GRADUATED THE YEAR BEFORE WE WENT

TO OUR SECOND STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.

I'M NOT SURPRISED THAT OWEN

WASN'T DIAGNOSED WITH A CONCUSSION.

HE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE TAKEN BLOWS TO THE HEAD.

( whistle blows )

WE'RE NOT PLAYING HARD ENOUGH YET.

WE ARE NOT PLAYING HARD ENOUGH.

Dr. Cantu: THE REALITY IS THAT ANYBODY THAT'S PLAYED FOOTBALL

HAS HAD CONCUSSIONS, WHETHER THEY'VE RECOGNIZED IT OR NOT.

Morgan Thomas: BOTH OF US DEFINITELY GOT OUR BELL RUNG.

YOU GET UP AND EVERYTHING'S LIKE A DIFFERENT COLOR AT FIRST,

AND THEN IT TAKES YOU A COUPLE MINUTES

TO KIND OF GET BACK IN FOCUS.

BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A CONCUSSION.

I'VE NEVER HAD A CONCUSSION WHERE I WAS PULLED OUT OF FOOTBALL.

( siren wails )

I MEAN, OWEN AND I WERE SIMILAR IN THIS ASPECT:

IF WE DID HAVE A HEAD RINGER,

WE WOULD NOT GO REPORT THAT TO THE TRAINER.

YOU KNOW, WE'D GET UP AND SHAKE IT OFF,

AND JUST GET BACK OUT THERE AND PLAY.

Jeffrey Geisel: LAST YEAR AT PARKLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT,

ACROSS ALL SPORTS, WE HAD 1,600 KIDS.

WE HAD 14 RECORDED INCIDENTS OF CONCUSSION.

Steve: 1,600 KIDS, 14 DIAGNOSED CONCUSSIONS DURING THE ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR.

WELL, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY A VERY UNDER-DIAGNOSED CONDITION.

Chris: IF YOU ONLY HAVE ONE OUT OF EVERY HUNDRED KIDS

THAT ARE GETTING DIAGNOSED WITH CONCUSSION,

YOU'RE MISSING THEM

AND YOUR KIDS ARE AT TERRIBLE RISK.

WE DO THIS RIGHT AND WE START EDUCATING THE ATHLETES,

IT'S GOING TO SKY-ROCKET.

Dr. McKee: THIS IS OWEN THOMAS' BRAIN.

THIS IS A PART OF THE FRONTAL LOBE.

THERE'S THESE VERY DARK AREAS OF DISCOLORATION IN HIS BRAIN,

AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE SPOTS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE,

THERE'S JUST TREMENDOUS RINGING AROUND THOSE AREAS

OF NERVE CELLS CONTAINING THIS TAO PROTEIN.

THIS IS VERY DRAMATIC DISEASE,

AND WHAT WE KNOW FROM OTHER BRAINS

IS THAT IF HE HAD LIVED LONGER, THE DISEASE GRADUALLY WOULD HAVE

SPREAD OUT INTO THE NEIGHBORING CORTEX.

ONCE THE FIRE HAS STARTED,

IT JUST GOES ON ITS OWN WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL INSULT.

SO WHEN THE RESULTS CAME THROUGH,

I CAN'T SAY IT WAS A RELIEF,

BUT IT WAS LIKE, OH, MY GOSH, THERE IS THE REASON,

RIGHT THERE, THAT OWEN WOULD COMMIT SUICIDE.

THE FACT THAT THEY FOUND IT IN THE FRONTAL LOBE OF HIS BRAIN

THAT CONTROLS IMPULSE-CONTROL,

I THINK, IT WAS A VERY SIGNIFICANT FACTOR.

I DON'T THINK THAT WE KNOW WHETHER THE CHANGES

THAT WERE IN HIS BRAIN, WHICH WERE QUITE, UM...

THEY WERE DEFINITELY ABNORMAL, NO QUESTION,

BUT WHETHER THEY EXPLAIN

THE ULTIMATE BEHAVIOR THAT HAPPENED,

IT'S AN OPEN QUESTION.

THE OWEN THOMAS FINDING WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT...

AS IT RELATED TO THE CAUSE OF DEATH.

HE COULD HAVE DIED IN A CAR ACCIDENT

AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FINDING

WOULD HAVE BEEN EXACTLY THE SAME.

OKAY? IT WAS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE,

HOLY COW, CTE CAN ACTUALLY BEGIN

BEFORE SOMEBODY REACHES THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE.

AND THAT'S THE MORE IMPORTANT POINT HERE,

IS THAT 21-YEAR-OLDS SHOULDN'T HAVE THIS FROM PLAYING A GAME.

ALL RIGHT, MOM, LOVE YOU, BYE.

Phone: END OF MESSAGE.

( beeps )

THAT MESSAGE IS FROM THE DAY BEFORE HE, UM, KILLED HIMSELF.

I USED TO LISTEN TO IT LIKE EVERY DAY, ALL THE TIME.

AND I DON'T LISTEN TO IT EVERY DAY,

BUT IT'S--IT'S SORT OF...

IT'S JUST LIKE CARRYING HIM AROUND WITH ME.

IT'S NICE TO HEAR THAT VOICE.

YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU JUST HANG ON TO LITTLE THINGS.

AND YOU KNOW, HANG ON, HANG ON.

♪

MY FATHER PLAYED AT MILLERSVILLE IN THE '30s.

I PLAYED AT VIRGINIA,

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA IN THE '60s.

SO IT WAS KIND OF OUR FAMILY GAME.

AND OVER HERE IS OWEN'S GRAVE.

I DON'T COME OFTEN, ALTHOUGH I WORK JUST A STEP AWAY.

I DON'T COME OFTEN BECAUSE IT'S STILL VERY DIFFICULT.

THE ASSOCIATE PASTOR THAT DID THE WHOLE SERVICE AND I...

I COULD JUST BARELY MAKE IT THROUGH THE SERVICE.

SO I JUST SAT IN THE FAMILY PEW.

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SERVICE.

ALL OF THE FOOTBALL TEAM WENT UP TO THE BALCONY,

AND THEY LINED THE BALCONY STANDING,

AND IT WAS A SENSE OF CAMARADERIE,

A TEAMMATE, I GUESS, STANDING FOR THEIR CAPTAIN.

IT WAS VERY, VERY MOVING TO HAVE THAT SUPPORT.

( bell ringing )

ALL RIGHT, SO FIRST THING IS I'M GONNA HAVE YOU

TAKE EVERYTHING METAL THAT YOU HAVE ON YOUR BODY--

YOUR BELT, ANYTHING YOU HAVE ON YOUR WATCH, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

HAVE YOU HAD AN MRI BEFORE?

OH, MANY. OKAY, SO YOU KNOW THE DRILL.

I'M ONE OF OUR GUINEA PIGS FOR ALL OF OUR PILOT STUDIES.

AND SO I'LL GET AN MRI, A DTI...

EXCELLENT.

YOU KNOW, ME ALONG WITH SOME NFL GUYS

AND SOME BOXERS AND WHATEVER, WE'LL TRY TO FIGURE OUT

WHAT CTE LOOKS LIKE IN A LIVING PERSON.

ALL RIGHT, GOING IN.

Dr. Stern: YOU CAN ONLY DIAGNOSE THESE TYPES OF DISEASES

AFTER SOMEONE DIES BY LOOKING AT THE BRAIN TISSUE,

BUT THE GOAL IS TO BE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE DISEASE

WHILE SOMEONE'S ALIVE,

BECAUSE ONLY THEN CAN WE DO THINGS LIKE

FIGURE OUT THE TRUE RISK FACTORS,

CREATE TREATMENT PROTOCOLS,

CONDUCT CLINICAL TRIALS OF NEW DRUGS.

Dr. Cantu: UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE CTE IS SO HORRIFIC,

AND RIGHT NOW, THERE'S NO CURE FOR IT,

THE MEDIA HYPE ABOUT ALL OF THIS IS HERE

AND THE CONCERN IS HERE.

TRAGICALLY, THE SCIENCE ABOUT IT

IS WAY DOWN LOWER ON A TRAJECTORY.

THERE'S A HUGE GAP.

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES AND CONCUSSIONS

ARE A FAR MORE SERIOUS ISSUE THAN ANY OF US REALIZED...

I WAS INVITED TO SPEAK AT

A HIGH SCHOOL TO PARENTS AND COACHES

TO RAISE CONCUSSION AWARENESS.

IT WAS PROBABLY THE FIRST TIME IN THREE OR FOUR YEARS

THAT I HAD SOMEBODY ACTUALLY CONFRONT ME IN PUBLIC.

Man: YOU SURE SCARED A LOT OF PEOPLE TONIGHT, OKAY?

IT WASN'T A PARENT, IT WAS THE HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER.

Man: YOU CAME HERE AND YOU TALKED ABOUT ALL THESE PEOPLE WHOSE BRAINS ARE DECAYING.

AND WHAT YOU DIDN'T SHOW IS, THERE'S A HECK OF A LOT OF PEOPLE

THAT PLAYED BALL THAT DON'T HAVE PROBLEMS. OKAY?

THAT DON'T HAVE THIS POST-CONCUSSION SYNDROME.

YOU DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE...

NO, THAT'S RIGHT, I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE

WHO SMOKE AND DON'T GET LUNG CANCER.

I MEAN, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT,

THAT'S A TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE ARGUMENT

WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO PEOPLE'S HEALTH AND THEIR BRAIN

AND THE RISKS THAT WE SHOULD BE EXPOSING KIDS TO.

BUT THEN IT WENT FURTHER AND HE SAID,

"WELL, YOU TALK ABOUT ALL THESE SYMPTOMS.

"MY 10-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER PLAYS SOCCER

"AND SHE COMES OFF THE FIELD AND COMPLAINS OF DIZZINESS

"AND HEADACHES AFTER HEADING THE BALL.

"BUT THAT'S NOT A CONCUSSION.

THAT'S JUST PART OF PLAYING THE GAME."

IF YOUR CHILD HAS CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS

FROM HEADING A SOCCER BALL, THAT'S A CONCUSSION.

I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU ASKED ME THAT QUESTION.

I MEAN, ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

I WOULDN'T PUSH TOO FAR.

I'M WORRIED ABOUT YOUR JOB RIGHT NOW.

IT WASN'T JUST THE HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER THAT HAD THIS PROBLEM.

I WAS INFORMED THAT THE FOOTBALL COACH

HAD SCHEDULED A MANDATORY WEIGHT-LIFTING SESSION

TO MAKES SURE HIS PLAYERS COULDN'T GO TO THE SYMPOSIUM.

AND WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?

Man: I DON'T KNOW.

I'M GONNA GO BACK TO BOSTON.

YOU COULD HEAR A PIN DROP IN THAT ROOM.

Alan Schwarz: WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT

HAPPENS PRIVATELY ALL OVER THE COUNTRY ALL THE TIME.

A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO BELIEVE

THIS IS AS SERIOUS AS IT IS,

EVEN PEOPLE WHOSE JOBS IT IS TO SAFEGUARD CHILDREN'S HEALTH.

THEY DON'T WANNA BELIEVE IT EITHER.

Chris: A GROUP OF PARENTS FOLLOWED ME OUT

AND SOME OF THEM ASKED, "MY CHILD PLAYS FOOTBALL HERE,

HE HAD A CONCUSSION LAST YEAR. WOULD YOU LET HIM GO BACK?"

HOPEFULLY, IF YOU ONLY PLAY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL,

YOUR RISK IS LESS, BUT IT'S THERE.

Alan Schwarz: THERE ARE PEOPLE

WHO HAVE SAID THAT

BECAUSE 14 OUT OF 15 NFL PLAYERS

WHO HAVE BEEN TESTED FOR CTE HAVE HAD CTE, MY GOD,

THAT MUST MEAN THAT ALMOST EVERY RETIRED FOOTBALL PLAYER

HAS CTE OR WILL GET IT!

WELL, NO, THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS.

IT'S A VERY SELECTIVE SAMPLE.

AS PART OF A BRAIN BANK, WE STORE HALF OF THE BRAIN

AT MINUS 80 IN EACH FREEZER,

AND WE HAVE 7 FREEZERS.

Dr. Cantu: WE'VE GOTTEN NOW OVER 70 BRAINS IN THE BRAIN BANK

AND THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY

HAVE HAD CHRONIC TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY.

WE NEED 30 BRAINS OF PEOPLE

THAT PLAYED THE SAME SPORT THAT DIDN'T HAVE THE SYMPTOMS.

THEIR BRAIN WOULD BE VERY VALUABLE TO STUDY.

AND UNTIL WE DO, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE

ANY GOOD IDEA OF THE INCIDENCE OR PREVALENCE OF THIS CTE.

WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT 14 OF THE FIRST 15 NFL PLAYERS

THAT WE STUDIED HAD CTE.

IN SOME PEOPLE, IT WASN'T SO FAR PROGRESSED

THAT THEY HAD MEMORY PROBLEMS OR IMPULSE CONTROL,

BUT HAD THEY LIVED LONGER,

THEY ALMOST CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE.

THAT'S OVERSTATING THE DATA,

AND IT'S LEADING TO A CONCLUSION

FOR WHICH WE DON'T HAVE SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT RIGHT NOW.

TO SAY THAT BECAUSE THIS ATHLETE EXHIBITED CTE,

THAT THAT DETERMINES THAT HE'S GOING TO HAVE DEMENTIA

AND HAVE DEPRESSION AND COMMIT SUICIDE,

IT'S JUST NOT THERE.

YOU HAVE TO WALK A VERY FINE LINE HERE

BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED TO APPRECIATE THE FACT

THAT CTE COULD MAKE YOU GO CRAZY

AND COULD MAKE YOU DO TERRIBLE THINGS.

THE NFL CALLED US WHEN FAMILIES ARE LOOKING FOR US TO HELP...

BUT THEN AGAIN WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS WITH PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE IT,

YOU HAVE TO CLEAR TO THEM THAT PEOPLE WITH CTE CAN ALSO LIVE NORMAL LIVES

AND BE FINE, THEY JUST MIGHT BE DIFFERENT.

ONE OF THE REASONS I'M HERE IS TO ASK YOU TO GIVE ME YOUR BRAIN SOMEDAY.

ALZHEIMER'S STRIKES YOU AT THE END OF YOUR LIFE.

WHEN YOU'RE 78 IS THE AVERAGE ONSET OF ALZHEIMER'S,

AND CTE IS 43.

SO IT'S PRETTY DESTRUCTIVE.

WE HAD TWO A DAYS, BOTH MORNING AND AFTERNOON,

BEATING THE LIVING CRAP OUT OF EACH OTHER.

THERE'S MANY TIMES IN PRACTICE I CAME LOOKING THROUGH THE EAR HOLE OF MY HELMET,

TRYING TO MAKE THE TEAM EVERY YEAR, YOU KNOW?

BUT WE WERE AT THIS THING THAT WE WENT TO

A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, SOMEBODY ASKED...

( inaudible )

YEAH, WHAT THE HECK WAS I GOING TO JUST TELL YOU?

I'M GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK.

Man: STAGE THREE RIGHT THERE.

( all laugh )

WHAT THE HELL WAS I JUST TALKING ABOUT?

I DID FORGET.

I PLAYED FOR A LOT OF REALLY DUMB COACHES.

THERE'S A LOT MORE DUMB COACHES OUT THERE

THAN THERE ARE REALLY SMART, INNOVATIVE COACHES.

WHEN I WAS A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL,

THEY DIDN'T GIVE US WATER.

YOU KNOW, YOU WERE A WUSS IF YOU ASKED FOR WATER.

AND THEN TWO KIDS DIED IN TEXAS,

AND THEN WE GOT WATER EVERY FIVE MINUTES.

RIGHT, IF FIVE KIDS THIS YEAR

DIED IN A WEEK FROM HEAD INJURIES,

FOOTBALL WOULD CHANGE IMMEDIATELY.

BUT YOU COULD CREATE 500,000 CASES OF CTE THIS YEAR,

AND EVERYONE'S OKAY WITH IT.

ALL I NEED FOR Y'ALL TO DO IS TO DIG DOWN INSIDE RIGHT NOW

AND GIVE ME ALL YOU HAVE SAVED UP.

YOU HEAR ME?

WE GOT 16 MINUTES. IT AIN'T OVER.

♪

YEAH, THERE YOU GO! HIT IT! HIT IT, BABY!

RUN, RUN! YEAH, YEAH! RUN, RUN!

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! RUN, RUN!

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! TAKE THAT!

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!

LET'S GO, DAVID! LET'S GO!

IF YOU GUYS CONTINUE TO PLAY ON THIS LEVEL,

AND MOVE ON UP TO THE NEXT LEVEL,

WHEN YOU GET READY TO GO TO HIGH SCHOOL,

IT'S GONNA BE SOME SCOUTS WATCHING Y'ALL,

GONNA WANT Y'ALL.

SO YOUR DREAMS COULD BE LIVED OUT RIGHT HERE.

Bob Costas: WATCH KIDS IN ANY SPORT.

THEY ARE MIMICKING WHAT THEY SEE.

SOME OF THE VIOLENCE IN THE NFL...

THE CELEBRATION OF THOSE SHOTS BY THE PLAYERS THEMSELVES,

BY THE MEDIA TO SOME EXTENT, BY MANY FANS...

IS DANGEROUS ENOUGH FOR ELITE ADULT ATHLETES.

Alan Schwarz: WHATEVER HAPPENS ON AN NFL FIELD

IS IMITATED BY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF KIDS.

WHAT HAPPENS ON SUNDAY IS GOING TO HAPPEN ON FRIDAY.

AND WHEN YOU SEE MICHAEL VICK RECEIVE A CONCUSSION

AND YOU SEE HIM JUST GO BACK INTO THE GAME AND BE FINE,

YOU'RE GOING TO ASSUME THAT IT'S PERFECTLY SAFE TO DO THIS.

Chris: IN 2011, THE NFL CHANGED THE POLICY

SO THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE PEOPLE NOW IN THE BOOTH

AND ON THE SIDELINE WHOSE JOB'S ONLY TO LOOK FOR A CONCUSSION.

AND THAT HAPPENED BECAUSE

THERE WERE SOME VERY OBVIOUS CASES

OF PLAYERS BEING CONCUSSED ON THE FIELD

AND YET THEY WEREN'T TREATED OR ASSESSED PROPERLY.

Dr. Batjer: AND THE PROBLEM WAS THE TRAINER AND THE PHYSICIAN

WERE OCCUPIED WITH ANOTHER INJURED PLAYER

AND NOT FACING THE FIELD.

SO 35 MILLION AMERICANS SAW IT,

BUT NOBODY WHO COULD ACTION THE PROBLEM SAW IT.

Chris: AND THE STORY AFTERWARDS WAS THAT NOBODY SAW THEM

GET KNOCKED OUT FOR 30 SECONDS ON THE FIELD.

NO ONE SAW THEM WOBBLE OFF THE FIELD

AFTER THEY GOT HIT IN THE HEAD.

THE NFL'S ACKNOWLEDGING THAT EVEN WITH A TEAM

OF MEDICAL PEOPLE ON THE SIDELINE,

THEY CAN'T SEE THE OBVIOUS CONCUSSIONS ON THE FIELD.

SO HOW ARE WE LETTING KIDS PLAY WITH NONE OF THE RESOURCES

THAT WE FEEL OBLIGATED TO PROVIDE GROWN MEN?

Dr. Cantu: IT WOULD BE IDEAL

THAT THERE'S A CERTIFIED ATHLETIC TRAINER

FOR EVERY HIGH SCHOOL,

BUT IT'S NOT A FINANCIAL REALITY RIGHT NOW.

AND IT IS TRUE THAT INNER-CITY SCHOOLS

MORE OFTEN THAN NOT LACK A CERTIFIED ATHLETIC TRAINER.

BUT I THINK THAT CERTAIN SPORTS AT HIGHEST RISK,

IT CAN BE ARGUED THAT IF YOU CAN'T PUT

PROPER MINIMUM MEDICAL FACILITIES ON THE SIDELINE,

THAT YOU PROBABLY SHOULDN'T PLAY THE SPORT.

LET'S GO, WILDCATS!

I LOVE THE PROGRAM. IT KEEPS THE KIDS OFF THE STREET.

( crowd cheering )

( whistle blows )

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THEY GET OUT OF SCHOOL 2:30, THEY AT PRACTICE TILL 8:00.

YOU CAN'T DO NOTHING BUT COME HOME AND DO HOMEWORK,

AND THAT'S HOW I LIKE IT.

FOOTBALL IS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE STREETS.

IF OUR ORGANIZATION DIDN'T GET 'EM,

THEN THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE 'EM WILL.

Players: ONE, TWO, THREE!

Latanya Thomas: I BELIEVE YOU JUST HAVE TO PROTECT THEM

AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AND PRAY.

Dr. Cantu: ONE WAY YOU CAN MAKE FOOTBALL SAFER

IS TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF BRAIN TRAUMA

OCCURRING IN PRACTICE

BY LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF FULL-CONTACT PRACTICE.

Chris: THERE IS A FOOTBALL LEAGUE

THAT ONLY ALLOWS IN PRACTICE ONE DAY OF HITTING PER WEEK.

IT'S THE NFL.

AND YET YOU GO DOWN TO ANY REGULAR CITY IN AMERICA

AND HEAR MOTHERS TELL YOU THEIR PLAYERS DO FOUR DAYS

OF FULL-PADDED PRACTICES A WEEK, AND A GAME.

THERE'S NO WAY THAT SHOULD BE HAPPENING.

THERE'S A BALANCE THERE.

CAN YOU EVER MAKE ANY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY COMPLETELY SAFE?

OF COURSE NOT, BUT WHAT'S THE LEVEL OF ACCEPTABLE RISK

AND WHAT'S THE LEVEL OF REASONABLE REFORM?

( crowd cheering )

Dr. Cantu: COLLISION SPORTS

SHOULD NOT BE PLAYED UNDER THE AGE OF 14.

NOW I'M NOT SAYING DO AWAY WITH THE SPORT,

I'M SAYING CHANGE THE WAY IT'S PLAYED.

IN PARTICULAR, TAKE HITS TO THE HEAD OUT OF IT.

( crowd cheering )

I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY INSANE THAT LITTLE KIDS

ARE BASHING HEADS WITH FOOTBALL HELMETS ON.

THEIR BRAINS ARE NOT MYLENATED,

THEIR HEADS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY BIG,

THEIR NECKS ARE OVERWHELMINGLY WEAKER THAN THEY WILL BE LATER,

AND TRAUMA THAT THEY SUSTAIN

OFTEN SEEMS TO LAST LONGER BEFORE IT CLEARS.

Alan Schwarz: I'M NOT TELLING ANYBODY WHETHER THEY SHOULD LET A KID PLAY FOOTBALL OR NOT.

I MAKE DECISIONS WITH MY KID,

YOU MAKE DECISIONS WITH YOUR KID.

AS LONG AS THEY'RE WITHIN THE LAW, KNOCK YOURSELF OUT.

Players: ONE, TWO THREE!

Keith Primeau: MY DAUGHTER PLAYS FIELD LACROSSE,

AND MY BOYS PLAY ORGANIZED HOCKEY.

THEY'VE BEEN AROUND THE GAME A LOT.

WE ARE A HOCKEY FAMILY.

YOUR MULLIGAN WAS YESTERDAY. WE'RE TAKING SOME TIME OFF.

WE FOUND OUR LEGS, AND NOW WE GOTTA GET BACK THERE WORKING.

( whistle blows )

THREE WEEKS AGO, I WAS SKATING OVER THERE

TO HIT THIS KID AND HE STUCK HIS LEG OUT,

AND I TRIPPED OVER HIS LEG AND WENT HEAD FIRST INTO THE BOARDS.

I GOT WHIPLASH AND CONCUSSION.

Peter Laviolette: YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME

THAT HE'S HAD A CONCUSSION.

SO WE'RE REALLY TAKING IT SLOW.

YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A LONG PROCESS.

PROBABLY THIRTY DAYS INTO IT NOW.

HE WANTS TO GET BACK, HE'S FEELING BETTER,

BUT YOU KNOW, PATIENCE IS PROBABLY A GOOD THING

WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH CONCUSSIONS,

WHETHER THEY'RE YOUR PLAYERS IN THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

OR IT'S YOUR OWN SON.

I'VE BEEN PLAYING HOCKEY SINCE I'VE BEEN TWO.

WHEN I WAS FIVE, I STARTED PLAYING IN THE LEAGUE.

I LIKE THE CONTACT, JUST SEEING A GUY GO ON THE ICE,

FALL ON THE ICE, I JUST LOVE IT.

I DON'T KNOW WHY. I DO IT TO MY BROTHER.

Chayse Primeau: I WENT BACK DOWN TO GET THE PUCK

AND I GOT HIT FROM BEHIND.

AND I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING.

PEOPLE SAID I WAS ON THE ICE FOR LIKE FOUR OR FIVE MINUTES.

I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER 20 SECONDS OF IT.

I DON'T REMEMBER ANY OF IT.

I WAS ONE OF THE GUYS OUT THERE GETTING YOU UP.

I DON'T REMEMBER THAT.

CHAYSE!

Steve: DO YOU THINK IT'S GOOD TO KNOW MORE ABOUT CONCUSSIONS?

OR WOULD YOU JUST RATHER NOT KNOW?

NOT KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT 'EM.

'CAUSE IF I GET ONE, IT KINDA SCARES ME.

LIKE WHAT HAPPENS IF I HAVE THIS?

BUT SINCE I DON'T KNOW, I JUST...

I LIKE IT BETTER THAT WAY.

SO WHEN YOUR DAD TALKS TO YOU ABOUT CONCUSSIONS,

YOU PREFER HE DOESN'T REALLY TELL YOU TOO MUCH?

YEAH. ( laughs )

DOES HE KNOW THAT?

NO. ( laughs )

BEING A PEDIATRICIAN FOR MANY YEARS,

I WANTED TO HELP MY OLDEST SON NATHAN

PROTECT THAT BRAIN 'CAUSE THAT'S HOW HE'S GONNA EARN HIS LIVING.

HE WASN'T GONNA BE GOING OFF AND PLAYING HOCKEY FOR A LIVING.

AND SO ONE OF HIS EARLY COACHES WAS KEITH PRIMEAU,

WHO HAD JUST RETIRED FROM THE NHL BECAUSE OF CONCUSSIONS.

GO!

HAVING KEITH AS ONE OF NATHAN'S EARLY COACHES

REALLY MADE A BIG IMPACT ON OUR WHOLE FAMILY.

HE CHANGED OUR LIVES, BUT ALSO CHANGED MY CAREER.

I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT MY PEN.

DOES THAT PEN LOOK FAIRLY CLEAR? IT'S NOT DOUBLE OR BLURRY?

IT'S DOUBLING.

IT IS DOUBLE AND BLURRY?

CLOSE YOUR EYES.

THERE IS RESEARCH THAT DOES SHOW

THAT CHILDREN RESPOND DIFFERENTLY TO CONCUSSIONS.

THEY'RE NOT JUST LITTLE ADULTS.

ALL RIGHT, IT MAKES YOU FEEL WOBBLY? YEAH.

Dr. Cantu: LET'S SEE, STILL HAVING ISSUES WITH HEADACHES,

STILL HAVING ISSUES WITH TROUBLE FALLING ASLEEP,

NOT BEING ABLE TO CONCENTRATE...

Nate Gyory: IT WASN'T A BIG HIT AT ALL.

I'VE BEEN HIT MUCH HARDER BEFORE.

IT WAS JUST LIKE 3 CONSECUTIVE FACEMASK-TO-FACEMASK HEAD BUTTS.

AND THAT WAS MY FIRST ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS FOR THE HOCKEY SEASON.

I PLAYED THE REST OF THE GAME. I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT.

Lisa Gyory: IT WASN'T ONE OF THESE HITS WHERE I SAID,

"OH, MY GOD, IS HE HURT?"

I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HE WAS HURT.

I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HE WAS HIT.

THEN I WENT TO BED AND I WOKE UP WITH A REALLY BAD HEADACHE.

AND I TOOK TWO WEEKS OFF. IT GOT BETTER AFTER TWO WEEKS.

I GOT RIGHT BACK INTO THE LACROSSE SEASON,

WHICH WAS STARTING A MONTH LATER.

ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE SEASON,

I GOT ANOTHER CONCUSSION.

Dr. Cantu: LEAN FORWARD A LITTLE BIT

TO CENTER YOUR WEIGHT AND THEN CLOSE YOUR EYES.

IF SOMEBODY HAS NOT FULLY RECOVERED FROM A CONCUSSION

AND THEN IS SUBJECTED TO A SECOND CONCUSSION,

MORE PROBABLY THAN NOT, IT'S GOING TO TAKE

A MUCH LONGER TIME TO GET OVER THE SYMPTOMS

THAN IF THEY'D SUFFERED THOSE TWO CONCUSSIONS

SAY A YEAR APART.

HE BECAME SYMPTOMATIC WHEN SCHOOLWORK GOT PILED ON.

PUT YOUR TONGUE OUT STRAIGHT.

AND SO IT WAS ACTUALLY THAT ADDITIONAL COGNITIVE LOAD

OF SCHOOLWORK THAT BROUGHT BACK POST-CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS.

THE ASPECT OF ALL OF THIS FOR DOWN THE ROAD

IS WHETHER YOU GO BACK TO CONTACT COLLISION SPORTS.

AND THIS IS BASED PARTLY ON THE FACT THAT YOUR INJURY

DID NOT SEEM TO BE A MONUMENTAL HIT,

AND YET THE SYMPTOMS HAVE LASTED AN APPRECIABLE PERIOD OF TIME.

Nate Gyory: IT WAS REALLY FRUSTRATING BECAUSE I HAVE MY HOCKEY SEASON COMING UP,

AND IT LOOKS REALLY BAD FOR ME BECAUSE I DON'T THINK I'LL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.

I'M THE CAPTAIN OF THE TEAM.

SO I STILL HAVE TO BE THERE FOR EVERYONE.

THE TEAMMATES, I WOULD SAY, WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE.

IT WAS THE PARENTS WHO DIDN'T UNDERSTAND,

BECAUSE I COULDN'T COME TO THE GAMES SOMETIMES 'CAUSE I NEEDED TO RECOVER.

SO THEY'D SAY, "OH, THAT KID DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THE TEAM.

"HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT HOW THEY'RE DOING.

HE'S JUST GOING HOME BECAUSE HE'S TIRED OF LACROSSE SEASON."

BUT THAT WASN'T THE CASE AT ALL.

I DIDN'T KNOW, ACTUALLY.

I DIDN'T HEAR THE CRITICISM BY PARENTS.

I DON'T LIKE TO GOSSIP, SO... ( laughs )

NO, HE DOESN'T.

I DIDN'T EXPECT GETTING EMOTIONAL,

AHH, LISTENING TO THE WHOLE THING.

IF I COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND CHANGE ONE THING,

I WOULD HAVE TAKEN TWO WEEKS OFF OF SCHOOL,

NOT STRESS MYSELF AT ALL, JUST TAKING THE TIME OFF,

BECAUSE IN THE END, IT WAS THE SCHOOLWORK THAT SET ME BACK.

Dr. Master: IF THEIR BRAIN HAS RECOVERED ENOUGH

THAT THEY CAN DO COGNITIVE WORK AND HANDLE A FULL DAY OF SCHOOL,

THEN WE CAN PROGRESS THEM

THROUGH A RETURN-TO-PLAY PROTOCOL,

AND IT GOES FAIRLY SMOOTHLY.

CHRIS: THE FOCUS OF THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW,

AND THE FOCUS OF A LOT OF THE LEGISLATION,

HAS BEEN RETURN-TO-PLAY.

AND THAT'S THE STORY THAT'S REALLY A LOT OF PLACES

BEING SOLD AS THE SOLUTION.

I MEAN, I HEAR IT FROM PARENTS ALL THE TIME,

EVEN IF THEY GET A CONCUSSION,

AS LONG AS THEY RETURN TO PLAY

AT THE RIGHT TIME, THEY'LL BE FINE.

WHAT NO ONE'S TALKING ABOUT, AT ANY LEVEL,

IS THE FACT THAT WE ARE CLEARLY NOT DIAGNOSING CONCUSSIONS

AND WE ARE NOT GETTING ATHLETES OFF THE FIELD

WHEN THEY DO HAVE THEM.

ATHLETES DON'T REALIZE HOW IT'S IN THEIR OWN BEST INTEREST

TO PULL THEMSELVES OUT OR TO REPORT THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING WRONG.

Eric Laudano: THE ATHLETIC TRAINERS HERE

ARE ON THE FIELD FROM THE START

OR BEGINNING OF THE PRACTICE OR GAME.

SO IF WE SEE AN INCIDENT THAT IS EXTREMELY VIOLENT

OR IF THE ATHLETE DOES NOT SEEM LIKE THEMSELVES,

WE'LL IMMEDIATELY BRING THE ATHLETE OFF THE FIELD

AND EVALUATE THEM ON THE SIDELINES

TO ENSURE THAT THEY DON'T RETURN TO PLAY

IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN MAKE THEM WORSE.

( players yelling )

Chris: WE'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO SAY SCIENTIFICALLY

WHAT'S SAFE AND WHAT'S UNSAFE.

THE IDEA THAT A 100-G BLOW TO YOUR HEAD

CAUSES A CONCUSSION, AND THAT'S BAD FOR YOU,

BUT THAT 99-G BLOW THAT YOU SAY, "OH, I'M FINE." THAT'S FINE?

IT'S IMPOSSIBLE THAT THAT'S THE REALITY.

Douglas Smith: WE HAVE TO DEFINE WHETHER THERE'S

A CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF INJURIES THAT YOU CAN'T SEE.

NOW PEOPLE ARE USING THE TERM "SUB-CONCUSSIVE BLOWS."

Dr. Steven Galetta: SUB-CONCUSSIVE BLOWS

WOULD REFER TO HEAD HITS THAT DON'T BECOME APPARENT

TO THE ATHLETE IN ANY CLINICAL SYMPTOMOLOGY.

THAT IS, THEY MAY HAVE CRASHED HELMETS AND FELT FINE.

Dr. Master: ONE OF THE CONCERNS ABOUT SUB-CONCUSSIVE HITS

IS THAT YOU DON'T JUST GET A PASS ON THEM.

THEY'RE NOT FREE.

Dr. Galetta: WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER OR NOT

THE NUMBER OF THESE HITS PUT THAT INDIVIDUAL

AT INCREASED RISK FOR CTE.

Jason Stallman: WHAT IF THE REAL DAMAGE IS DONE

BY THE DOZENS IF NOT HUNDREDS

OF SEEMINGLY INNOCUOUS COLLISIONS

THAT A LINEMAN, FOR EXAMPLE,

MIGHT ENDURE THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF A GAME.

THERE'S SO LITTLE UNDERSTANDING,

I THINK, SO FAR, ON WHAT

THE LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS OF THAT ARE,

AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT

A YOUNG PLAYER STARTING OUT AT FIVE OR TEN YEARS OLD,

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF TIMES HIS BRAIN

HAS BEEN IN A COLLISION IS QUITE A LOT.

WHAT IF SUDDENLY PARENTS DON'T WANT THEIR KIDS

TO PUT A FOOTBALL HELMET ON

AND RUN ONTO A FOOTBALL FIELD ANYMORE?

WHERE DOES THE SPORT GO?

THAT'S MY BABY!

( crowd cheering )

WHOO! THERE YOU GO! THEY'RE COMING BACK!

WE CAN DO THIS HERE, BABY!

MAN, I WANT TO DO THE DAVID AND GOLIATH THING!

♪

Cindy Parlow Cone: WHEN MY KIDS GET HIT IN THE HEAD,

I IMMEDIATELY SUB THEM OUT.

AND I CHECK THEM OVER. IT DRIVES THEM NUTS.

THEY GET SO-- "I'M FINE, CINDY, I'M FINE!"

Laura Rounce: GET IT, MAR! DON'T BREAK YOUR LEG!

Cindy: I'VE BEEN SCREAMED AND YELLED AT BY PARENTS

FOR NOT PLAYING THEM WHEN THEY'VE GOTTEN A CONCUSSION.

WHICH IS FINE BY ME,

BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I'M DOING THE RIGHT THING.

AND I'VE ACTUALLY HAD THOSE SAME PARENTS

COME BACK TO ME AND APOLOGIZE AND THANK ME

BECAUSE I WOULD SEND THEM PUBLICATIONS

ON THE EFFECTS OF CONCUSSIONS.

Mary Rounce: IT'S SCARY, KNOWING IF I GET ONE MORE,

WHAT COULD HAPPEN.

DO YOU THINK YOU COULD GET DEMENTIA FROM CONCUSSIONS?

YEAH, I THINK I'M GONNA GET IT EARLY ON. ( laughs )

SO WHAT KIND OF MOTHER AM I?

SHE HEARD, OR WE HEARD FROM SOMEBODY,

THAT YOU CAN'T HAVE MORE-- ONCE YOU HAVE FIVE, YOU'RE DONE.

IS THERE A SCIENTIFIC STUDY ABOUT HOW MANY ARE ACCEPTABLE?

ZERO IS PROBABLY ACCEPTABLE.

OKAY.

AS A GENERAL PEDIATRICIAN,

AND ALSO A SPECIALIST IN SPORTS MEDICINE,

THAT'S A TOUGH QUESTION EVEN FOR ME TO ANSWER

FOR MY OWN FAMILY, AS YOU CAN SEE.

Dr. Laura Balcer: THE FACT OF NEUROLOGY

IS THAT REALLY AFTER THREE CONCUSSIONS

AN ATHLETE SHOULD THINK ABOUT RETIRING FROM THAT SPORT.

Steve: AND THE SEVERITY OF THOSE CONCUSSIONS? I DON'T THINK IT MATTERS.

I THINK JUST THAT YOU'VE HAD A MEANINGFUL NEUROLOGIC EVENT EACH TIME IS IMPORTANT.

Dr. Master: RIGHT NOW, NATHAN HAS SUSTAINED

PROBABLY THREE OFFICIAL CONCUSSIONS.

Dr. Smith: PEOPLE SAY, "WELL, IF YOU HAD A CONCUSSION,

HOW LONG WOULD YOU WAIT OUT UNTIL YOU WENT BACK IN?"

AND I SAY 50 YEARS. SERIOUSLY.

I MEAN 50 YEARS. THAT'S MY BRAIN.

IF YOU GET HIT AGAIN, YOU'RE GOING DOWN ANOTHER NOTCH.

IF YOU LIKE HOW QUICKLY YOU CAN THINK NOW,

AND YOU LIKE WHO YOU ARE, THAT YOU CAN GET JOKES QUICKLY,

YOU KNOW, WHAT IF THAT WENT AWAY?

FOR ME, THAT'S ENOUGH OF A RISK TO JUST SAY NO.

FIFTEEN OR SO PERCENT OF PEOPLE WITH A SINGLE CONCUSSION

HAVE PERSISTING COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION.

MEANING, THEY DON'T GO BACK TO SCHOOL OR TO WORK

OR JUST CARRY ON LIFE THE WAY THEY HAD IT.

THEY HAVE LONG-TERM PERSISTING PROBLEMS AFTER ONE CONCUSSION.

DOUG SMITH, HE SAID ONE IS TOO MANY.

AND YOU KNOW, I KIND OF CRINGED

BECAUSE I DO FEEL LIKE HE'S PROBABLY RIGHT, YOU KNOW,

BUT IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT.

I MIGHT LOOK BACK AND SAY I WISHED I HAD STOPPED HIM AFTER THIS LAST ONE.

Steve: SO WHY DON'T YOU JUST SAY NO HOCKEY?

Dr. Master: BECAUSE HE LOVES TO PLAY HOCKEY,

WE LOVE THAT HE LOVES PLAYING HOCKEY,

AND WE LOVE WATCHING HIM PLAY HOCKEY.

Laura Rounce: WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LITTLE BIT

ABOUT WHAT IF YOU COULDN'T PLAY SOCCER.

AND WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TO THAT

BECAUSE SHE LOVES IT.

( crowd cheering )

Morgan Thomas: I LOVE FOOTBALL.

YOU'RE BLEEDING, YOU'RE CRYING, YOU'RE SWEATING WITH THESE GUYS,

IN THE LOCKER ROOM, ON AWAY TRIPS.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE GOING THROUGH BATTLE.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE THEY'RE YOUR WAR BUDDIES.

YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ANYBODY.

Peewee coach: WHEN WE STARTED OUR PROGRAM, IT WAS HARD.

YOU HAD DIVISION AMONG CHILDREN FROM COMMUNITIES NEARBY.

THIS KID DOESN'T LIKE THAT KID AND IF YOU ASK HIM WHY,

HE CAN'T REALLY TELL YOU,

OTHER THAN HE LIVE OVER THERE IN THE ROW HOUSES.

AND THROUGH FOOTBALL, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET THEM TOGETHER,

FIND A COMMON GROUND.

( crowd cheering )

Dr. McKee: WHEN YOU GROW UP WITH FOOTBALL,

YOU LOVE THE CHANGE OF THE SEASON,

THE SENSE OF EXCITEMENT WHEN YOU HEAR THE CROWD,

I ADMIT IT, I'M A HUGE FOOTBALL FAN,

AND IT'S LIKE I CAN'T HELP IT, IT'S JUST PART OF ME.

Chris: THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT WE ROMANTICIZE THESE SPORTS.

WHEN I GREW UP,

I HAD THIS EMOTIONAL CONNECTION TO FOOTBALL.

THE VALUES THAT PEOPLE HOLD DEAR CAN BE ACHIEVED OTHER WAYS.

I DID PLAY BASKETBALL, I DID PLAY BASEBALL, I DID DO THEATRE.

I LEARNED LESSONS IN ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

Isaiah Kacyvenski: I WOULD LOVE FOR ISAIAH JR. TO PLAY FOOTBALL.

FOOTBALL HAS ABSOLUTELY GIVEN ME SO MUCH IN MY LIFE.

I JUST WANT IT TO BE UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES.

RIGHT NOW, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME

PUTTING MY SON ON A FIELD WITH A GOOD CONSCIENCE.

MY SON'S FOUR YEARS OLD,

AND I HAVE A DAUGHTER WHO'S TWO AND A HALF.

Steve: DO YOU WANT YOUR SON TO PLAY FOOTBALL?

( sighs )

LET'S GO! LET'S GO!

RUN THE SAME THING. GO, GO, GO. TO THE LEFT.

( whistle blows )

LET'S GO, Y'ALL. NOW OR NEVER, BABY!

DAVID, LET'S MAKE HISTORY! NOW OR NEVER!

OVER HERE! EVERYTHING!

EVERYTHING! TAKE 'EM OUT! TAKE 'EM STRAIGHT OUT!

GO! YEAH! GO, BABY, GO! GO, GO, GO!

( whistle blows )

DAMN!

( whistle blows )

HEY, THAT'S GAME.

WOW.

THEY JUST GOT TIRED ON ME, THAT'S ALL.

AIN'T GOT NOTHIN' TO HOLD THEIR HEADS DOWN FOR.

ELEVEN GUYS, YES, SIR.

HEY, BOY, DON'T DO THAT.

DON'T DO THAT. COME HERE. COME HERE, RIGHT HERE.

COME HERE, COME HERE. LOOK. LOOK.

Y'ALL DIDN'T GET THIS FAR NOT KNOWING HOW TO PLAY.

COME ON, CHRIS, HOLD YOUR HEAD UP

AND LOOK AT WHAT YOU ACCOMPLISHED THIS SEASON,

AND GOD WILLING, I'LL SEE ALL Y'ALL

BACK HERE NEXT YEAR.

IS THAT WHAT Y'ALL WANT? Players: YEAH!

LET ME HEAR YOU THEN.

HOW DO Y'ALL FEEL? GOOD!

HOW YOU FEEL? GOOD!

HOW GOOD?! REAL GOOD!

HOW GOOD?! REAL GOOD!

♪

Keith Primeau: FOCUS, DETERMINATION,

A WILLINGNESS TO COMMIT AND COMPETE FOR THE ENTIRE GAME.

IT'S THE REASON FOR PLAYING SPORTS.

THREE OF MY FOUR CHILDREN

HAVE ALL SUFFERED ONE CONCUSSION.

MY DAUGHTER ASKED ME THE QUESTION,

"DADDY, SHOULD WE NOT PLAY IF WE COULD GET HURT?"

AND I SAID, "WELL, THAT'S YOUR DECISION.

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO PLAY IF YOU DON'T WANT,

BUT THERE'S NO GUARANTEE IN LIFE."

I THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT ANSWER. I'M NOT 100% SURE.

SOME PEOPLE MIGHT THINK THAT I'M NOT CONCERNED

ABOUT THEIR HEALTH OR WELL-BEING, BUT I AM.

BUT I DON'T LIVE IN FEAR OF THEM GETTING HURT PLAYING SPORT.

YOU READY TO GO?

Players: LET'S GO, BOYS!

IT'S THE ENJOYMENT I SEE IN THEIR FACE

WHEN THEY'RE DOING IT...

AND THAT'S ENOUGH FOR ME.

♪

♪

♪ SLOW POSE

♪ AND CROSS-EYED

♪ VISIONS OWED TO THE RAILROAD TIES ♪

♪ HUMPBACKS

♪ AND SUGAR SHACKS

♪ SHOTGUN WED TO THE POISON OF OUR PAST ♪

♪ A LITTLE LONGER

♪ A LITTLE LONGER TO GO

♪ WE'VE A LITTLE LONGER ♪

♪ A LITTLE LONGER TO GO

♪ I JUST CAN'T HELP SAY SO ♪

♪ CAN'T YOU SEE ME? ♪

♪ CAN'T YOU SEE ME AT ALL? ♪

♪ INTERSPACED, OH

♪ AND PIE-FACED, OH

♪ YOU CATCH THE MOON

♪ I'LL JUST STAND HERE AND RUN IN PLACE ♪

♪ SHELL SHOCKED, OH

♪ AND HALF-COCKED, OH

♪ THE UNIVERSE IS FULL OF BLACK HOLES ♪

♪ AND ANNIVERSARY NIGHTS

♪ A LITTLE LONGER TO GO

♪ WE'VE A LITTLE LONGER ♪

♪ A LITTLE LONGER TO GO

♪ WE'VE A LITTLE LONGER TO GO ♪

♪ CAN'T YOU SEE ME AT ALL? ♪

♪ CAN'T YOU SEE ME? ♪

♪ CAN'T YOU SEE ME AT ALL? ♪

♪ CAN'T YOU SEE ME? ♪

♪ CAN'T YOU SEE ME? ♪

♪ CAN'T YOU SEE ME AT ALL? ♪