Last week, for the first time, an NFL official admitted in a congressional hearing that there is a correlation between the concussions suffered by players on the field and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in their brains later, which can lead to dementia and suicidal tendencies. For reaction, I called upon Dr. Robert Cantu — one of the nation’s leading experts on brain trauma, co-director of Boston University’s Center For The Study Of CTE, and author of “Concussions And Our Kids.”
Here’s our conversation, which included questions about whether young soccer players should head the ball, at what age kids should play full-contact ice hockey, and the impact of Ivy League schools banning tackling during football practices. I also asked him what he thought of the movie, “Concussion,” in which Will Smith played pioneering CTE researcher Dr. Bennet Omalu.
Listen to our conversation here.