We know that football can cause concussions and other bodily harm, but a PBS documentary called “League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis” gives a closer look at how much damage is really done. As the film shows, the connection between head trauma and football has been proven, but the NFL has not acknowledged this connection.
The documentary focuses on Harry Carson, a 59-year-old former linebacker, who is no stranger to the mental and physical wear and tear that football can cause. Carson, who is concerned for his grandson, Kellen, shares, “I pray parents understand all they’re getting into when they allow their kids to play football. My oldest son luckily gravitated to basketball, and as a doctor he understands what concussions are about. My younger son didn’t play, and to this day I’m grateful. And now I tell my daughter that (Kellen) is not going to play. Because concussions happen all the time on every level of football, the long-term damage is terrible, and we’re seeing evidence of it all the time.”
Carson also hopes the film will inspire other players to get a diagnosis when they are struggling from the lasting consequences of brain trauma, rather than harming themselves.
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