Dean diagnosis coincides with release of new brain imaging study that reveals a path to diagnosing CTE during life

(Boston) – The widow of Pro Football Hall of Famer Fred Dean is sharing his CTE diagnosis publicly to honor his legacy and encourage support for research to diagnose the disease in the living. Researchers at the Veterans Affairs-Boston University-Concussion Legacy Foundation (VA-BU-CLF) Brain Bank posthumously diagnosed Dean with advanced CTE, stage 3 out of 4 possible stages, with 4 being the most severe. His family donated his brain after his passing from complications of Covid-19 in October 2020 at age 68.

“Fred always knew something was wrong with his brain, but he could never prove it,” said Pam Dean, Fred’s widow. “We are very thankful to the VA-BU-CLF researchers for finally giving us a name to put to his struggles. We hope families like ours will continue to donate their loved one’s brain and living players will volunteer for research so the experts can learn how to diagnose and treat this horrible disease while those suffering are still alive.”

Fred Dean was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008 for his prolific career as a defensive end for the San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers. The sack specialist helped lead the 1981 and 1984 San Francisco 49ers to Super Bowl victories and was selected to four Pro Bowl rosters. Pam Dean says Fred’s memory began to fade in his 60s, and daily tasks became hard to complete on his own, which is likely attributable to the progression of his CTE. Fred also suffered with chronic headaches for decades after a serious concussion he sustained on the field in his early 20s. His headaches were likely independent of his CTE.

A new study published Tuesday in Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy by researchers at the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank provides the best evidence to date that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may expedite the ability to diagnose CTE with confidence in the living. If the finding is validated, it will help former athletes like Dean who experience CTE symptoms but struggle to get support without a formal diagnosis.

Researchers found that participants diagnosed with CTE post-mortem had shrinkage in regions of the brain associated with CTE compared with healthy controls.

“Specifically, those with CTE had shrinkage in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, the regions most impacted by CTE,” said corresponding author Jesse Mez, MD, MS, director of the Boston University (BU) Alzheimer’s Disease Center Clinical Core and a BU CTE Center Investigator. “Subjects diagnosed with CTE were also seven time more likely than controls to have a cavum septum pellucidum, a distinctive abnormality easily seen on MRI.”

Researchers compared the MRIs of 55 men diagnosed with CTE to 31 male healthy controls with normal cognition at the time of their scan.

“MRI is commonly used to diagnose progressive brain diseases that are similar to CTE such as Alzheimer’s disease,” said first author Michael Alosco, PhD, associate professor of neurology at BU School of Medicine, co-director of BU Alzheimer’s Disease Center Clinical Core, and a lead BU CTE Center investigator. “Findings from this study show us what we can expect to see on MRI in CTE. This is very exciting because it brings us that much closer to detecting CTE in living people.”

Interview requests for the family of Fred Dean should be sent to Julia Manning at [email protected]. Those interested in speaking to study authors can direct their requests to Gina DiGravio at [email protected].

About the Concussion Legacy Foundation:

The Concussion Legacy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It was founded by Robert Cantu, MD, and Chris Nowinski, PhD, to support athletes, Veterans, and all affected by concussions and CTE; achieve smarter sports and safer athletes through education and innovation; and to End CTE through prevention and research. For more information, please visit ConcussionFoundation.org.

About the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank:

The VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank is a partnership between the VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston University School of Medicine, and the Concussion Legacy Foundation, led by Dr. Ann McKee. It is the world’s largest CTE brain bank with subspecialties in concussion, ALS, and other consequences of brain trauma. The VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank has diagnosed more than 70 percent of confirmed CTE cases globally. Click here for more information

NFL analyst Ross Tucker designed custom shoes to spotlight urgent need for CTE research, player support

(Boston) – For the first time, The Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) will be featured as a selected charitable organization for the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign. Westwood One NFL analyst and former NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker chose CLF as his charitable organization, designing a custom shoe featuring images of brains ravaged by CTE and likenesses of former NFL players Junior Seau and Tom McHale, who were both posthumously diagnosed with CTE.

“As a former football player, CTE is an issue close to my heart,” said Tucker, who played seven seasons in the NFL. “I’ve known CLF co-founder Dr. Chris Nowinski since I had to block him in college and watching what he and his team are doing to advance CTE research, make the game safer, and help former players and their families who are struggling is inspiring.”

Tucker has been a longtime advocate for CTE awareness, pledging to donate his brain to CLF for research in 2012. CLF is a founding collaborator in the Boston University CTE Center and the world-leading VA-Boston University-CLF Brain Bank, which has studied the brains of more than 350 deceased NFL players.

On one shoe, Tucker has chosen to honor his former opponent Junior Seau, the Pro Football Hall of Famer who died by suicide in 2013 at age 43. Seau’s daughter Sydney gave the family’s blessing to his depiction.

“I vividly remember playing against Junior Seau in 2003 and specifically remember a couple of collisions with Junior in that game,” Tucker said. “Now that I know what they can do to a football player’s brain and how CTE can impact a family, I’m committed to doing my part to help the Concussion Legacy Foundation team learn how to diagnose and treat this terrible disease.”

Tucker’s other shoe honors Tom McHale, who, like Tucker, was an All-Ivy League offensive lineman before playing nine years in the NFL. Tucker first learned about CTE when McHale died in 2008 at the age of 45 and became the sixth NFL player diagnosed with CTE. An actual picture of Tom McHale’s damaged brain with stage 3 CTE is depicted on the front of both shoes.

“Ross Tucker was a warrior on the football field, and we are honored that he is partnering with the Concussion Legacy Foundation to go to war again, only this time to End CTE,” said Chris Nowinski, PhD, CLF CEO and co-founder and a former All-Ivy League defensive tackle at Harvard University. “More cases of CTE have been diagnosed in NFL players than in any other population, and we hope more football players recognize the opportunity we have to save the lives of our football family members through supporting CTE research.”

Tucker will join dozens of other analysts and announcers in wearing custom tennis shoes and hundreds of NFL players in wearing custom cleats representing the charitable cause of their choice during all Week 13 games.

Current and former football players can join Tucker in the fight to End CTE by signing up for the CLF Research Registry. Those who are interested can learn more about pledging their brain or participating in clinical research studies at PledgeMyBrain.org.

About the Concussion Legacy Foundation:

The Concussion Legacy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It was founded by Robert Cantu, MD, and Chris Nowinski, PhD to support athletes, Veterans, and all affected by concussions and CTE; achieve smarter sports and safer athletes through education and innovation; and to End CTE through prevention and research. For more information, please visit ConcussionFoundation.org.

About Ross Tucker: Ross Tucker played seven years in the NFL as an offensive lineman for the Washington Football Team, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, and New England Patriots. Today, he is a game analyst for the Philadelphia Eagles, CBS Sports, and Westwood One. He is the co-founder of the Ross Tucker Podcast Network including the flagship Ross Tucker Football Podcast and the founder and CEO of GoBigRecruiting.com.

Martin’s First Interview Since 2016 to Cap a Two-Day Virtual Conference on the Latest Breakthroughs in CTE Research

(Boston) – The 5th Annual Boston University CTE Conference, a two-day virtual event on Oct. 21-22, will feature a conversation with former NFL player Jonathan Martin, who retired in 2015 after several injuries, mental health struggles, and suicide attempts. Martin’s first public comments since 2016 are expected to cover his mental health battle since retiring, his perspective on whether he may have CTE, his newfound commitment to brain health, and his choice to be a voice of hope for former athletes concerned about CTE.

Martin, who is also announcing his pledge to donate his brain to the VA-Boston University-Concussion Legacy Foundation (VA-BU-CLF) Brain Bank, will be interviewed by BU CTE Center co-founder Chris Nowinski, PhD, alongside United Kingdom rugby star Stephen Thompson, who last year revealed he was diagnosed with dementia at age 42. Thompson’s doctors believe his dementia was caused by repeated head impacts from decades of playing rugby.

The course is designed for health care professionals and researchers, and up to 15.25 continuing education credits are available for physicians and psychologists. Patients, families, and other members of the public are welcome and encouraged to attend. Participants can register for the conference at CTEConference.com.

Presenters will include Boston University faculty Ann McKee, MD, Bob Stern, PhD, Robert Cantu, MD, Jesse Mez, MD, Doug Katz, MD, Lee Goldstein, MD, PhD, Thor Stein, MD, PhD, and Mike Alosco, PhD.

Guest presenters will include Kaj Blennow, MD, PhD, of the University of Gothenberg, Sweden, on fluid biomarkers, Jasmeet Hayes, PhD, of The Ohio State University on MRI imaging, and Robert Turner II, PhD, of George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Science, who will explore how racism and discrimination may influence diagnosis for black former football players.

The Concussion Legacy Foundation’s Lisa McHale will explore how CTE impacts families by interviewing three family members of former football players diagnosed with CTE, including the daughter of Atlanta Falcons star Tommy Nobis, the wife and daughter of 14-year NFL player Nesby Glasgow, and the parents of former Dartmouth football player Hunter Foraker, who died by suicide at age 25.

The conference is organized to train doctors and other health care professionals on the latest advance in our understanding of CTE, including its pathology, pathophysiology, genetics, biomarkers, imaging, clinical syndromes, clinical criteria, differential diagnosis, impact on Veterans, implications for the family and, what it is like to live with or worry about the disease.

About the Concussion Legacy Foundation:

The Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) is an international charity operating in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. CLF was founded in 2007 by Robert Cantu, MD, and Chris Nowinski, PhD, to support athletes, Veterans and all affected by concussions and CTE; achieve smarter sports and safer athletes through education and innovation; and to End CTE through prevention and research. For more information, please visit ConcussionFoundation.org.

Partnership will advance CTE research in athletes and military Veterans in the United Kingdom

(Oxford, UK) – Rugby World Cup winner and ex-Lion, Steve Thompson MBE announced today he will be the first professional athlete to pledge his brain to the Concussion Legacy Project for research on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and other consequences of brain trauma. The Concussion Legacy Project is a new brain bank formed through a partnership between the Concussion Legacy Foundation UK (CLF UK) and the Jeff Astle Foundation (JAF).

“I’m pledging my brain so the children of the people I love don’t have to go through what I have gone through,” said Steve Thompson, MBE, who was diagnosed with dementia at age 42. “It’s up to my generation to pledge our brains so researchers can develop better treatments and ways to make the game safer.”

“Brain donation is the most valuable gift of all for future generations of footballers,” said Dawn Astle, daughter of Jeff Astle. “It may be many years before this jigsaw is complete, but by adding each piece, one at a time, it is the only way we shall understand the true picture and so be able to make a better future for others. The Jeff Astle Foundation encourages families of athletes and Veterans to donate the brain of their loved one to the Concussion Legacy Project.”

The Concussion Legacy Project will be led by Dr Gabriele DeLuca, Associate Professor in the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford and Director of Clinical Neurosciences Undergraduate Education at Oxford Medical School.

“Brain donation will allow us to better understand the complexities of CTE so that we can develop tailored interventions and treatments to prevent its devastating consequences,” said Dr. DeLuca. In the next phase of the collaboration, Dr. DeLuca will lead clinical research efforts aimed at learning how best to treat common CTE-related symptoms, including problems with thinking and memory, mood, and sleep.

To support the Concussion Legacy Project, CLF CEO Dr. Chris Nowinski announced a new international chapter, the Concussion Legacy Foundation UK (CLF UK), under the leadership of executive director Dr. Adam White, Lecturer in Sport & Coaching Sciences at Oxford Brookes University. Dr. White has been leading a global research project to focus on understanding the experiences of families who have lost loved ones to sport-related brain injury.

“We’ve long known about the relationship between sport and CTE, but we urgently need to better understand how CTE affects athletes and Veterans, as well as their families, at every stage of their life,” said Dr. White. “We have reason for hope. CTE usually begins in a person’s teens or twenties, which means we have a lifetime to treat patients, educate people and support their families. We want to stop all new cases of CTE in the next five years and have a cure by 2040.”

“Losing my dad to dementia left so many unanswered questions. The only way we as a family could understand what happened to him after his football career was to donate his brain to research,” said Rachel Walden, Trustee of The Jeff Astle Foundation and daughter of Rod Taylor. “Knowing Dad died of CTE and Dementia with Lewy Bodies has driven me to work with Dawn Astle and The Jeff Astle Foundation and today I’m delighted we are able to join forces with Concussion Legacy Foundation UK and support the Concussion Legacy Project.”

CLF UK encourages all athletes and military Veterans to pledge to donate their brains to CTE research at PledgeMyBrain.org.

CLF UK has created a 24-hour brain donation hotline for families to call and coordinate brain donations. Family members of athletes and military servicemembers who wish to donate their loved one’s brain can contact the Concussion Legacy Project at 07534 029 223 and [email protected].

The Concussion Legacy Project is modeled after the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank, a collaboration between the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Boston University, and CLF. This partnership has created the world’s leading CTE research program and has led to more than 1,000 brains donated 600 cases of CTE diagnosed, which comprises about 80% of the world’s confirmed cases.

The Concussion Legacy Project is part of the CLF Global Brain Bank, which links the leading CTE brain banks and researchers in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, and the US. The members use common methods, share data, and work collaboratively on discoveries to accelerate global coordination of research.

About the Concussion Legacy Foundation:
The Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) is an international charity operating in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. CLF was founded in 2007 by Robert Cantu, MD, and Chris Nowinski, PhD, to support athletes, Veterans and all affected by concussions and CTE; achieve smarter sports and safer athletes through education and innovation; and to End CTE through prevention and research. For more information, please visit ConcussionFoundation.org.

About the Jeff Astle Foundation:
The Jeff Astle Foundation was launched by the Astle family in 2015 to raise awareness of brain injury in sport at all levels of the game, to work with sports authorities to deliver independent research into the links between brain injury in sport and degenerative brain disease, and to provide support for sports people living with the effects of dementia or chronic neurological impairment.

16 high school football players have been diagnosed with CTE, and all but one started playing tackle football before age 14

(BOSTON) – The Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) released a gripping PSA today featuring Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre that begs parents to wait to enroll their children in tackle football until age 14. The PSA aims to educate parents on research showing that their child’s odds of developing CTE double every additional three years they play tackle football.

“Having kids play tackle football before high school is just not worth the risk,” said Favre, who started in a record 297 consecutive NFL games over 19 seasons and is widely regarded as the toughest man to ever play the game. “CTE is a terrible disease, and we need to do everything we can to prevent it for the next generation of football players.”

While the overall prevalence of CTE in the high school football population is unknown and cannot be determined from a brain bank sample, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Boston University – Concussion Legacy Foundation (VA-BU-CLF) Brain Bank reports that 16 of 65 high school football players – who never played in college or professionally – have been diagnosed with CTE. 15 of the 16 players with CTE started playing tackle football before age 14.

The odds of developing CTE may increase by 30% per year of tackle football played, according to a 2019 Brain Bank study of 266 deceased football players published in Annals of Neurology. That means a high school football player who started at age five, instead of age 14, might have 10x the odds of developing CTE.

“A football player’s odds of developing CTE may be most determined by their parents, specifically what age the child is allowed to start playing tackle football,” said Chris Nowinski, PhD, Concussion Legacy Foundation co-founder and CEO, a former All-Ivy League defensive tackle at Harvard University. “It’s time to accept that CTE is not just a risk for professional and college football players, but also for high school players, and the best way to prevent CTE among football players is to delay the introduction of tackle football to reduce the number of years played.”

The PSA shows a precocious young child begging his parents to delay signing him up for tackle football until he turns 14 because of the risk he may develop CTE. The child ages into a teen who explains that if he plays youth tackle football, he could already have CTE by the time he is in high school. The teen finally ages into an adult, played by Favre, who explains if he plays too many years of tackle football, he would be more likely to experience common symptoms associated with CTE like depression, problems with thinking, and even violent behavior towards his children – and none of those symptoms would be worth it when all he really wants as an adult is to be a good parent.

The mention of violence was inspired by the many children of football players diagnosed with CTE who have courageously revealed that their fathers were increasingly violent towards them and their siblings as their disease progressed.

The PSA implores parents to choose flag football instead of tackle for their children to reduce their exposure to repetitive head impacts. According to the CDC, in flag football a typical youth player will receive about 8 head impacts a year, while in tackle they will receive 378.

You can watch the PSA here. Video files for broadcast are available upon request.

Find more information at Favre4Flag.org.

New report from VA-Boston University-Concussion Legacy Foundation Brain Bank marks 1,000 brain donations milestone with inside look at CTE research

Report reveals never-before-seen donor demographics, new testimonials from donor family members including Dwayne Johnson, provides roadmap for future

(BOSTON) – Research collaborators from the VA, Boston University (BU), and the Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) published an inspiring new report today, “1,000 Reasons for Hope,” which exclusively details the first 1,000 brain donors studied at the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank since 2008 and how they have advanced research on concussions and CTE. The report also explains how the next 1,000 brain donors will answer critical questions that take us closer to preventing, diagnosing, and treating CTE, as well as the long-term consequences of concussion and traumatic brain injury.

“Our understanding of CTE is far behind that of other neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer’s Disease and ALS,” said Dr. Ann McKee, chief of neuropathology for the VA Boston Healthcare System and director of the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank. “Each case we have the honor to study accelerates the science of CTE. Thanks to our Legacy Donors, incredible team and growing national and international collaborations, we are now on the cusp of major breakthroughs.”

“Thanks to our Legacy Donors and their families, as well as our incredible research team, we now have a roadmap for how to diagnose and treat CTE during life,” said Chris Nowinski, PhD, CLF co-founder and CEO. “Our discoveries have already inspired changes to sports that will prevent many future cases of CTE in the next generation of athletes.”

Newly released data found only in “1,000 Reasons for Hope” shows the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank has received tissue from donors who died as young as age 14 and as old as age 98, with more than 30 primary exposures to brain trauma.

Football players are by far the most represented group, with 708 donors having football as their primary exposure to head impacts, including 305 former NFL players. Military veterans are the next largest group (66) followed by ice hockey (45), boxing (30), soccer (24), and rugby (18).

The report also reveals the race and sex of the first thousand Legacy Donors, with 77% white, 18% Black, and 5% other races. To ensure our discoveries benefit all, CLF is actively recruiting athletes and veterans from diverse racial backgrounds and exposures to head impacts. Recruiting females is a priority, as only 2.8% of the first thousand brains are female. Everyone is invited to pledge to donate their brain or join CLF’s clinical research registry at PledgeMyBrain.org.

The research highlighted in the report would not be possible without the generous contributions made by the families who donated the brain of their loved one. In “1,000 Reasons for Hope,” some of those family members talked publicly about the donation process for the first time.

“I’m very grateful for the insight the Concussion Legacy Foundation has been able to provide me and my family,” said Dwayne Johnson, the son of former professional wrestler Rocky Johnson. “Losing my dad without warning was a tough kick in the gut, but one of the saving graces of his passing was coming to understand just how healthy his brain was. As a professional wrestler his entire life his brain endured a lot and I know he’d be proud knowing the donation of it has impacted brain research and hopefully can shed some light and understanding, not only in science, but also to other families around the world.”

“It provided my family and I with final closure,” said Gail Evans, widow of former NFL player James Evans. “It gave us light into a world that had darkened around us and provided us with understanding and peace.”

With the next 1,000 Legacy Donors studied, VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank researchers and collaborators expect to make monumental progress in the fight against CTE and traumatic brain injuries. The report features insights from 17 of the world’s top CTE researchers about what they expect to learn from the next thousand donors.

You can read and download the full “1,000 Reasons for Hope” report here.

Six-year study brings researchers another step closer to diagnosing CTE in the living

(BOSTON) – For the first time, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have shown that progressive memory loss and problems with executive function, the ability to focus, follow directions, and problem-solve, are most predictive of CTE pathology, and increase the odds of having the disease by 3.6 times.

The new findings bring researchers another step closer to diagnosing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) during life, which is crucial for developing therapies and determining how common the disease is among individuals exposed to repetitive head impacts from contact sports, military service and physical violence.

“This study significantly advances our understanding of how to diagnose CTE in life. Progressive memory and executive function symptoms are particularly valuable for predicting CTE pathology,” said corresponding author Jesse Mez, MD, MS, director of the Boston University (BU) Alzheimer’s Disease Center Clinical Core and a BU CTE Center Investigator. “Mood and behavior symptoms have many causes, and this study confirmed that individuals exposed to brain trauma with those symptoms should seek treatment and not automatically assume they are caused by CTE.”

The study, “Validity of the 2014 Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome Criteria for CTE Pathology” was published online Wednesday in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.

CTE is a progressive brain disease. Clinically, impulsivity, explosivity, depression, memory impairment and executive dysfunction have been reported symptoms of the disease. In 2014, criteria for traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) were proposed for use in clinical research settings to diagnose CTE in life.

To assess the reliability and diagnostic validity of TES criteria, a team of clinicians interviewed family members of 336 VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank brain donors exposed to repetitive head impacts from contact sports, military service and/or physical violence. Neuropathologists then evaluated the brains for CTE pathology. An expert panel of clinicians then determined whether (TES) criteria (i.e. proposed criteria to diagnose CTE in life) were met.

These findings were used by an international team of experts to develop second-generation TES criteria that were announced last month. Having reliable and valid criteria to diagnose CTE in life will improve patient care and accelerate the development of effective therapies, but Mez points out the TES criteria are not yet ready for the clinic.

The Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) is the outreach and recruiting arm of the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank, a collaboration between the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Boston University and CLF, where more than 8,000 athletes and military Veterans have pledged to donate their brain. We encourage anyone with a history of brain trauma to get involved in research by pledging their brain and signing up for the CLF research registry, where members are recruited to participate in clinical research studies. Those who are interested can sign-up at PledgeMyBrain.org.

For anyone with a history of brain trauma who is struggling with symptoms of suspected CTE, or caring for someone who is, you can find a new CTE Support and Resources library filled with treatment and coping strategies from experts at ConcussionFoundation.org.

Click here to read the study.

Collaboration promotes Project Enlist, asks veterans to pledge to donate their brain

(BOSTON) – The Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) announced today a foundational partnership with Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) to power Project Enlist, a CLF program that serves as a catalyst for research on traumatic brain injury (TBI), chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in military veterans.

Project Enlist encourages all active service members and veterans to pledge to donate their brain to advance research at ProjectEnlist.org. Nearly 8,000 people, including 1,000 veterans, have already taken the pledge.

CLF is the outreach arm of the US Department of Veterans Affairs-Boston University-CLF Brain Bank, the world’s largest CTE research center. Project Enlist is designed to replicate CLF’s success recruiting American football players, as the brain bank now studies the brains of more than one out of every three NFL players after they die. Project Enlist is designed to bring the same visibility to the long-term effects of brain trauma in the military as it has the NFL.

“We don’t have all of the answers for veterans right now,” said Chris Nowinski, Ph.D., CLF co-founder and CEO. “Brain bank research is an essential step in developing effective treatments for TBI, CTE and PTSD so we can protect and support the heroes who courageously fight for our nation.”

The Department of Defense has reported more than 400,000 TBIs among service members in the last 20 years. Brain donation research at the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank and other leading brain banks will allow scientists to gain a better understanding of the unique effects of military brain trauma exposure, leading to diagnosis during life, treatment, and better outcomes. Partnering with leading veteran service organizations like WWP is critical to creating awareness of the need for brain donation among veterans and their families.

“It is very important to spread the message about brain injury,” said Alex Balbir, WWP Independence Services Director. “Working with the Concussion Legacy Foundation can help us learn better ways to care for and treat these invisible wounds.”

In addition to research, CLF supports military service members and their families suffering from the effects of brain trauma through the CLF HelpLine. The HelpLine provides personalized guidance to those struggling with concussion or suspected CTE symptoms by connecting them to clinicians and peer support volunteers.

WWP addresses TBI through a number of programs and services. WWP’s Independence Program helps warriors and families living with moderate to severe TBI. Independence Program helps warriors overcome obstacles and exceed goals. WWP’s Warrior Care Network is a partnership with four top academic medical centers that treat post-traumatic stress disorder and TBI. Clinical treatments at Warrior Care Network sites improve symptoms and quality of life.

In addition to WWP’s foundational funding and outreach partnership, the Robert Irvine Foundation and MAG Aerospace have formed partnerships with CLF to support Project Enlist. Other organizations that would like to partner with Project Enlist can reach out to Julia Manning at [email protected].

Statement from the Concussion Legacy Foundation on the passing of Irv Cross

The Concussion Legacy Foundation was profoundly saddened to learn of the loss of former NFL cornerback and broadcasting legend Irv Cross at the age of 81. Our thoughts are with Irv’s wife Liz, his four children, and the entire Cross family.

Cross was a two-time Pro Bowl selection with the Philadelphia Eagles and one of the best defensive backs in the 1960s. After his playing career, he became a broadcasting pioneer as the first Black sportscaster on national television for CBS’ NFL Today and was a staple of NFL broadcasts for 23 seasons. In his 70s Cross received a diagnosis of mild cognitive dementia. He bravely went public with his diagnosis and symptoms to help others, and he pledged to donate his brain to the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank to advance research.

Always a trailblazer, Cross advocated for the first ever Pop Warner flag football league when he was chairman of the Pop Warner 50th Anniversary Celebration in 1979. Members of the CLF staff had the unique honor of visiting Cross in late 2018 to interview him on his endorsement of Flag Football Under 14, our campaign to educate parents on the risks of youth tackle football. We were inspired by Irv’s courage to publicly pledge his brain for research and speak out against youth tackle football, all in the name of making the game he loved safer. Irv’s brain has been donated to the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank for research on CTE.

In lieu of flowers, the Cross family has asked for donations to be sent to the Concussion Legacy Foundation or to the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation. Those interested in donating to CLF in Cross’ memory can do so at give.classy.org/ConcussionFoundation.

Concussion Legacy Foundation advised on a series of bold changes designed to reduce concussion rates, increase player safety

(NEW YORK CITY) – The Metropolitan Independent Football League (MIFL), which includes 11 New York City-area independent schools, unanimously voted to pass a series of safety measures, highlighted by eliminating kickoffs, including onside kicks, in all conference football games for its upcoming season. The kickoff ban is the first by a high school sports league in the country. The Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF), led by co-founder and CEO Chris Nowinski, Ph.D., a former Harvard football player, advised on the changes.

“The coaches we interviewed who are former college football players were the biggest supporters of eliminating the kickoff. Their personal experiences, combined with the concussion data we shared, led to an important discussion about whether the kickoff was appropriate for children,” said Nowinski. “The Metropolitan Independent Football League decided the kickoff is too dangerous for minors, and I expect more leagues and states will follow.”

Kickoffs have the highest injury rate per play in football. In 2015, the Ivy League reported in the journal Injury Prevention that kickoffs accounted for 6 percent of all plays but 21 percent of concussions. In response to this and similar data, football organizations have made rule changes to discourage kickoff returns, with mixed results, but the MIFL is the first to fully ban the play. The reform received unanimous support from MIFL voting members.

“As a coach I want the players and parents to know they are valued as people and their physical health is at the top of any decision we make as a program,” said Phil Treglia, Riverdale Country School head football coach.

Riverdale Athletics Director John Pizzi, who spearheaded the process, tapped Nowinski for guidance after a 2018 football season riddled with injuries.

“We had to cancel the last game of our season because we did not have enough healthy and experienced players,” said Pizzi. “I knew we had to change football in America to make it safer for our athletes.”

Nowinski and a team including 4-time Canadian Football League Grey Cup Champion Tim Fleiszer and Jeff Brooks, Ph.D. interviewed coaches, sports administrators, and medical teams from each school in the league to determine how injuries were occurring and explore what safety measures could be enacted to reduce the rate of those injuries.

In addition to the no-kickoff rule, onside kicks will not be permitted; instead, in the last five minutes of the second and fourth quarter, the offensive team can opt for the fourth-down play to start at their own 40-yard line. The team must advance 12 yards; otherwise, it is a change in possession where the ball is stopped. But the team may not advance past the defensive team’s 48-yard line regardless of the number of yards gained on the play.

Other approved regulations include limiting full-contact playing time for a player to 15 minutes a week and prohibiting double-session practices on consecutive days. Teams are now required to have both a doctor and EMT/ambulance present at all varsity contests and to provide adequate medical transportation to and from the field for injured players. Finally, traveling teams are encouraged to bring a certified athletic trainer to games.

CLF urges other high school leagues across the country to enact similar rules changes and put the long-term health of their athletes first. Athletic Directors and coaches interesting in learning about making safety rule changes at their schools can contact us at [email protected].