As startling as Jim McMahon’s personal testimony of his

struggles with memory loss is, we don’t need only to

rely on these kinds of personal admissions from current

or former players to judge the effects of football

and other contact sports on the brain. Scientists such

as Boston University’s Dr. Ann McKee have been

studying the harms of football on deceased players’

brains for the past few years, and the results

are quite tangible.

Of 16 brains that Dr. McKee was supplied, she has

completed testing on 14 of them. Of those, all but one

were diagnosed with chronic traumatic

encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative tissue condition

brought about by repeated blows to the head

and concussions. CTE has been linked to dementia, ALS,

depression and Alzheimer’s. When stained and

viewed under a microscope, CTE is quickly identifiable

in brain tissue for the ugly brown scars it leaves,

which are caused by a buildup of tau–an abnormal

protein that spills into the tissue from concussions and

other brain collisions.

Despite these convincing facts staring them in the face,

professional football players still remain steadfast

in playing the game they love at the highest level. Ray

Lewis, a linebacker and 15-year veteran, sums up

the player mindset well: “When you step on this gridiron,

there’s something coming with it. That’s why you

strap up the chinstrap. You sacrifice your body.

You sacrifice everything you’ve got. That’s what the game

has been.”

Colts receiver Austin Collie is involved in a vicious

collision with two Philadelphia Eagle defenders

in the middle of the field on Novemeber 7th. Collie

left the game with a concussion, and hasn’t been

able to return to the field since.