Incidents Stir Concerns for Football Safety

One NFL team’s handling of a concussion raises questions about how to protect players, the New York Times reported September 15. Stewart Bradley of the Philadelphia Eagles collapsed during a game September 12. A sideline exam found no serious injury, the Eagles said. Bradley went back into the game. But at halftime he was diagnosed with a concussion. The incident suggests that many concussions in high school and youth games may be missed, the Times said. Earlier in the week, the Times wrote about a college player who killed himself in the spring. An autopsy found that Owen Thomas had early chronic traumatic encephalopathy. This brain injury is linked to depression and impulse control. At least 10 former NFL players were diagnosed with it. Two committed suicide. The cause is believed to be repeated brain injury.