Head injuries of any kind should be a cause for concern. These injuries may appear to be minor at first glance, but they should be taken with the utmost seriousness. In certain contact sports, concussions have become a great concern for players and their loved ones. Major organizations like the National Football League (NFL) are no exception, as head injuries are incredibly prevalent. While the NFL does have certain protocols in place for such injuries, many suspect it needs to be more proactive in preventing concussions.
Concussions and the NFL
Concussions are one of the most controversial issues in contact sports today. Though head injuries are prevalent in other sports, football is known to have one of the highest risks of concussions. These head injuries often cause serious brain injuries. To prevent them, the NFL has attempted to work with helmet manufacturers to produce sturdier equipment for players and implemented its own Concussion Protocol to utilize when players suffer a head injury on the field.
Since its rollout in 2011, the NFL has since modified its Concussion Protocol to be stricter in recent years. Despite this, the organization and others like it – such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) – have continued to find themselves under fire for their lax response to such serious injuries.
According to the NFL’s website, its updated Concussion Protocol includes the following procedures:
Initiation of Concussion Protocol and Concussion Game Day Checklist
Once a player receives an impact to their head, the NFL’s Concussion Protocol will go into effect in the event the player:
- Exhibits or reports symptoms or signs suggestive of a concussion or nerve pinch injury
- The team Athletic Trainer, booth ATC spotter, team Physician, NFL game official, coach, teammate, sideline Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant (UNC), or booth UNC initiates the protocol
Once the Concussion Protocol has been initiated, the player will be moved to the sidelines or stabilized on the field and will then undergo a concussion assessment referred to as the Concussion Game Day Checklist. The checklist includes determining the state of the player’s cervical spine, speech, gait, and eyes. A video recording of the play during which the player was hit will also be reviewed to determine the force of the hit.
If the checklist reveals any symptoms consistent with a concussion, the player will then be examined further in the locker room for more neurological symptoms. The player could be cleared after either of these exams and be able to return to the game; but, if so they will have a follow-up assessment the next day to ensure they aren’t experiencing additional or worsened symptoms. If the player is diagnosed with a concussion, they cannot return to play in another game until they are administered and pass the return-to-participation protocol.
Return-to-Participation Protocol
The NFL’s return-to-participation protocol includes a five-step process before players can be cleared to fully practice or participate in a game. Team medical staff must consider the player’s current concussive injury, as well as any past exposures, and medical history, family history, and future risk in managing their care. Until an independent physician has cleared the player, they may not return to contact practice or play in an NFL game.
Under the updated Concussion Protocol, players exhibiting symptoms of ataxia or an abnormality of balance, motor coordination, or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue after a head injury on the field may not be able to return to the game. Ataxia joins a list of no-go symptoms such as lack of consciousness, gross motor instability, confusion, amnesia, fencing response, and impact seizure.
Despite the NFL’s continued attempts to update its Concussion Protocol, the organization continues to face growing concerns of negligence. For instance, some symptoms of a head injury or concussion can go completely unnoticed, as concussions are unique injuries that sometimes take hours or days before symptoms are fully apparent. Not only that, but it can take anywhere from 10 to 14 days before a concussed player’s brain will return to its baseline condition.
The Dangers of NFL and NCAA Player Concussions
Concussions and severe brain injuries can cause someone to have horrific outbursts, similar to symptoms of PTSD. Certain head injuries resulting from concussions have been found to be a root cause of early-onset dementia. Due to the prevalence of NFL head injuries, it has become fairly common for players to retire at a young age after suffering several concussions.
Though NFL players can sustain a variety of other play-related injuries, such as ACL or MCL tears, these physical ailments are most often not life-threatening. Concussion-related brain injuries can be life-threatening and should not be taken lightly.
Because every brain injury is different, some symptoms of a concussion may appear right away, while others may not show up for days or weeks afterward. Sometimes the injury is hard to recognize or the player doesn’t want to admit to having problems. The signs of a concussion can also be subtle. Early on, players, family members, and doctors may miss side effects. People can look fine even if they feel differently. Some of the most common signs of a concussion or TBI include:
- A loss of or change in consciousness, anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours
- A decreased level of consciousness
- Being hard to awaken
- Convulsions or seizures
- Unequal dilation in the pupils of the eyes or double vision
- Clear fluids draining from the nose and/or ears
- Nausea and vomiting
- Slurred speech
- Weakness of the arms, legs, and/or face
- Loss of balance
- Poor judgment
- Memory loss
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) has also become a major concern for NFL and NCAA football players. CTE is a degenerative brain disease found in professional and student-athletes, military veterans, and others with a history of repetitive brain trauma. In 2017, a Boston University study on the presence of CTE in former NFL players who donated their brains to research found CTE was present in 99% of the donated brains at the time.
Unfortunately, failing to treat concussions and/or ignoring the symptoms can have a lasting impact on students. Long-term disabilities can result from even seemingly minor head injuries, including:
- Physical impairments, such as ongoing balance issues and episodes of vertigo
- Cognitive impairments impacting judgment and reasoning skills
- Emotional impairments resulting in depression, anxiety, and bouts of rage
NCAA Head Injury Attorneys
Concussions are serious injuries that should not be taken lightly. At Raizner Slania, we understand the frustrations many players and their families face following one or multiple head injuries that could have been prevented and/or treated better. We represent many clients in concussion-related lawsuits against the NCAA, schools, and other athletic conferences. If you or someone you know suffered repeated head injuries and/or sports-related concussions, our NCAA head injury attorneys can help.
