It is the most popular sport in America, but concerns continue to grow that too many
aspiring athletes playing football are taking too many hard hits.
We actually have no idea how many sports related concussions occur.
The CDC estimates there are about 3.8 million per year.
That's really just an estimate.
Doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center are teaming up with the Dallas Cowboys and
tackling the issue.
We all need to be leaders in this area.
They recently co-hosted this coach's clinic at AT&T Stadium to help everyone win when it
comes to safety.
We feel very fortunate to have this partnership with UT Southwestern, they've done so many
amazing things.
They're obviously on the forefront of concussion awareness.
Researchers at UT Southwestern recently published a study in the Journal of Neurotrauma about
the effects of a single season of football.
Working with colleagues at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, they outfitted about two
dozen high school varsity football players with special helmets.
Sensors inside detected every single impact.
The athletes had two MRIs, one during pre-season, another post.
Turns out a single season of contact sports can result in brain changes.
Rule of thumb, when in doubt, sit the player out.
A huge chunk of these athletes that come see me even don't even recognize that they're
having symptoms for a few days.
Dr. Bert Vargas is a UT Southwestern sports neurologist laying out concussion signs and
symptoms.
Headache, nausea, balance problems, blurry vision, sensitivity to light and noise.
Thank you guys.
He and UT Southwestern's Dr. Hunt-Beijer, who co-chairs the NFL's Committee on Head,
Neck and Spine Injuries, are researching how to minimize the danger.
Accelerometers are devices that can be worn on the scalp, mouth guard or in the helmet
that help us measure impacts.
He's also pushing for playing field makeovers.
Some are too hard, some are probably too spongy.
We're trying to get that right.
And he wants the right helmet to keep players from being sidelined by head injuries.
We have a helmet that's 1968 vintage that's been subtly modified over the years.
Over in North Texas, one of the nation's first concussion registries is now up and running.
Context is led by researchers at UT Southwestern.
They're collecting information from several hundred kids as young as five.
We have to begin somewhere and that's the important thing is to get some baseline sense
of how many concussions are happening out there with our youth athletes and then can
we reduce those over time?
Students are questioned on their concussion history, recovery and family medical background.
Three months after their initial review, they're re-evaluated.
I've been coaching now 22 years.
Highlands High School Athletic Coordinator Juan Morales San Antonio applauds the push
to curb concussions that says moms and dads should be the best line of defense.
I think parents need to make sure that they have a great understanding of what concussions
and concussion causes are.
Raising the conversation on concussions and keeping the field of play the safest it can
be.
