Reminiscing on the popular Nike campaign featuring Bo Jackson, you may recall the catchphrase, “Bo Knows…” Bo seemed to know everything from his professional sports, Football and Baseball, to cycling, tennis, pro wrestling, and even how to play guitar! What Bo was not privy to was the research that surfaced in 2005 attributing concussions and sub-concussive blows to the degenerative brain disease Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).

“If I knew back then what I know now, I would have never played football. Never. I wish I had known about all of those head injuries, but no one knew that. And the people that did know that, they wouldn’t tell anybody.” Jackson told reporters at USA Today.

The NFL settled the long-standing lawsuit with thousands of former players suffering from Concussion symptoms for over $1 billion. An appeals court held up the decision in April of 2016 and essentially ended the drawn-out affair.

Former and current NFL players are not only concerned with their own safety having been educated at the risks they endured during their careers, but the potential risks their children could face by simply strapping on pads and a helmet to play football. High profile NFL names include: Brett Favre, Mike Ditka, Drew Brees, Troy Aikman, Adrian Peterson, Terry Bradshaw, Kurt Warner, etc, all of whom say they would not let their children play until they were older, or not at all! The sentiment has become discussed so much around the league that the satire news site, The Onion, posted an article titled, “Majority Of NFL Players Say They Wouldn’t Let Their Son Play Preseason Football.”

Research conducted by the Boston University CTE Center has found it’s not only the hits where a player is knocked unconscious or “sees stars,” but repeated sub-concussive blows to the head can significantly increase the risk of developing CTE, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other brain diseases later in life.

Children are also more susceptible to brain injuries because of underdeveloped neck muscles, a higher head-to-body ratio, developing brain tissue, and undeveloped tackling technique and skills. There is currently only one level of play that requires only one day of hitting in practice per week – the NFL, according to the documentary, “Head Games.” The leagues that need these precautionary practice regulations are still lagging behind in developing a comprehensive rulebook that addresses the new research findings in regards to concussions and brain injuries.

Rules and regulations are still not enough. The NFL instituted the Concussion Protocol in 2009, yet week after week players who suffered concussions were cleared to re-enter the game. Chris Nowinski, CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, sent these scathing tweets during NFL playoff games this season:

From Pop-Warner Leagues to the Pros, football leagues need to take the risks involved with the game as seriously as their former players. More and more players like Bo Jackson will be necessary to instill proper safety measures at all levels of play.

Photo Credit: Davide Costanzo