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To: John D. McLean, Professor of Workplace Writing Skills; Humber College

From: Team Dynamic Duo; Tess Furlong and Neil Welchman
Date: Tuesday April 20th, 2016
Subject: Major Project, Final Report
Introduction
When it comes to pro sports, there are more issues and problems under the surface of
the leagues than is brought to public attention, and because these leagues try to hide and avoid
these issues, we have decided to specifically look into the concussion crisis and its impact
within the National Football League (NFL).
Facts/Findings
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)
CTE is a degenerative disease that starts to settle into the brain through repeated
constant trauma to the head. It is shown to have predominantly impacted athletes (boxers,
hockey players, and football players) and military personnel (active and veterans). CTE starts to
settle into the brain, due to the constant trauma, when an abnormal protein called tau builds up
("What is CTE? CTE Center | Boston University," n.d.). The changes that people either feel or
notice can start weeks, months or years after the last time they have experienced trauma to the
head.
Stages of CTE
Although the symptoms of CTE can differ between person to person whether it be in
terms of what symptoms they experience, or timeline that it manifests itself, there are four
stages to CTE. The symptoms of each stage are grouped as following;
Stage One

Headaches
Dizziness
Disorientation
Deterioration of
attention

Stage Two

Memory loss
Social instability
Erratic behaviour
Poor judgment

Stage Three

- Cognitive impairment
- Problems with
executive functions,
such as;
Planning
Organization
Multitasking
Judgement

Stage Four

- Advanced stages of
dementia

- Memory and cognitive

impairments

- Severe enough to
impact day-to-day life

Even though there are four stages to this disease, it not uncommon that people with
CTE usually dont make it to stage four, and sometimes not even to stage three. The severity of

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the symptoms can overcome the mental well-being of someone suffering from CTE to the point
that it creates an unbearable life and lead to brain deterioration or the choice of suicide.
Diagnosis
Unfortunately, diagnosing CTE isnt something that can be done pre-mortem. Seeing
any change in the brain due to the buildup of tau is something that cant be noticed or
determined through the use of an MRI or a CT scan. The reason for this being, that it started
degenerating so far deep in the brain that by the time its physically noticeable, the athlete is
past the point of help. The symptoms of CTE, can often be mistaken as Parkinson's,
Alzheimers, dementia, or sometimes schizophrenia. This can also result in the misdiagnosis of
athletes which creates more of a stigma around treatment and help that said athletes will
experience when trying to figure out what is going on within their head.
A Cure vs. Treatment
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy also isnt something that has a cure, so instead of
being able to reverse the brain degeneration that happens, the only option that doctors and
players have is to treat the effects. For example, prescribing an athlete with some sort of
sedative when the athlete experiences an outburst of anger, or an anti-depressant to help with
the suicidal thoughts. Although these wont completely erase these symptoms, it can help with
the day to day issues, but will require more monitoring and professional help. The recent
research is helping scientists work toward being able to diagnose it while the sufferers are still
alive, and make the possibility of prevention as well as treatment available to athletes or military
veterans suffering from repeated head trauma.
Discussion/Analysis
There are a few points in regards to CTE within the NFL that should be discussed to
further explore the true impact it can create.
Development of Concussions
Concussions are an ever growing issue within the NFL, therefore raising the number of
players that could develop and suffer from CTE. CNN reported in March of 2016, that between
the years of 2012 and 2015, the number of reported concussions during pre and regular season
practices and games, was and still is an ever changing number as shown on the timeline below.

2012
261 reported
concussions

2013
229 reported
concussions

2014
206 reported
concussions

2015
271 reported
concussions

("NFL Concussions Fast Facts - CNN.com," n.d.)

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These numbers show that the numbers of concussions, specifically the reported
concussions, consist of ever-changing numbers. Surprisingly though, the number of
concussions doesnt determine the numbers of people that will show signs or develop any form
of CTE. Just because there is trauma to the head, it is shown that this doesnt definitely mean
that the build-up of tau in the brain is inevitable.
These specific findings demonstrate that more research into finding ways to deter or
treat CTE is important, but doesnt necessarily mean that research should be the primary
approach to confronting this problem. Having a problem that doesnt have a metaphorical
backspace or delete button, means that the most important approach should be creating an
environment that gives, specifically NFL players in this case, the choice on whether or not the
game is worth the possible effects that could result in a shorter and less stable life.
Informing the Public
In the section above, it was talked about how in order for players in the NFL to make an
informed decision about the impacts and possible life-changing events of concussions and what
they can lead to, there needs to be information accessible to them. Although the NFL has now
agreed to report and release the impacts of CTE and the data behind it, that wasnt always the
case. Throughout our research into many different platforms (i.e. new reports, studies and
autopsies of passed players), it was shown that the first ever discovered case of CTE due to
concussions in a football player was in 2002, through the suicide of Mike Webster. After that, in
2005/ 2006, it was the suicides of Terry Long who was 45, and Andre Waters who was 44 that
further corroborated the findings around CTE in the brains of athletes.
So if the public and athletes had had the information, all the way back to as far as 2002,
that the things going on in the heads of these players isnt just them going crazy (as a lot of
them were told), then would they have still been alive to this day? Or would they at least be
getting the help they need? This brings us to the last point of discussion.
Choosing Life over Football
Even though the release of all this information can cause a shift or dramatic change in
numbers of players that are choosing a pro-football career, or in parents enrolling their kids in
soccer instead of football, it should be a decision made with all the information that is known
made available. Within the last year, there have been players choosing to retire after just one
year of play, because theyre not willing to sacrifice their future years for (who knows how long)
in the NFL. Making an informed decision is something that is already a necessary part in things
associated with risk, such as;
Consenting to surgery,
Sky-diving out of a plane,
Even taking a kickboxing class where you could get injured.

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But as long as you have the most amount of information that you can have, it will feel like
you made the best decision you could. Regardless of the participation numbers in the NFL,
every player deserves to be informed about the whole range of risks before deciding, instead of
just the information that favours the reward.
Conclusions
Through the amount of research and discussion in this report, the conclusions we have
come to are as follows;
1. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a brain disease that starts to degenerate
the brain through the build-up of a protein called tau. Once this build up starts, its
impossible to stop.
2. The stages of CTE are often mistaken for different brain illnesses, and therefore are
treated or responded to in ways that can alienate or harm the patient more.
3. Even though there are no cures, the quicker that someone is diagnosed as showing the
signs and symptoms of CTE, the quicker they could receive help in living and managing
the possible symptoms, such as rage or suicidal thoughts.
4. Concussions are a part of contact sport, so to completely eliminate them would be next
to impossible without eliminating the ability to hit entirely which would change the game
of football as well.
5. Finally, the number of concussions is an ever-changing number that will fluctuate based
on the rules and regulations being put into place from the NFL. Creating a well-informed
and well-educated environment is the best way for the number of concussions and the
number of players suffering from CTE to be reduced
We thank you for your time and are open to answer any questions you may have in regards
to the information stated above.
Best,
Dynamic Duo (Tess Furlong and Neil Welchman)

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Works Cited

Cummings, andr douglas pond, Junior Seau, Head Trauma, and the NFL's Concussion
Problem (April 20, 2013). University of Mississippi Sports Law Review, Forthcoming.
Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2254354
Goldberg, Daniel, Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, the US National Football League, and the
Manufacture of Doubt: An Ethical, Legal,and Historical Analysis (June 12, 2012).Journal
of Legal Medicine 34, No. 2 (2013): 157-191. Available at SSRN:
http://ssrn.com/abstract=2293117
How CTE Affects the Brain | League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis |
FRONTLINE |
PBS. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/the-four-stagesofcte/
Lipsky, Bryan, Dealing with the NFL's Concussion Problems of Yesterday, Today, and
Tomorrow (March 12, 2008). Fordham Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Law
Journal,Vol. 18 (2008). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2290009
NFL Concussions Fast Facts. (2016, March 15). Retrieved April 17, 2016, from
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/30/us/nfl-concussions-fast-facts/
Smith, Rodney K., Solving the Concussion Problem and Saving Professional Football.Thomas
Jefferson Law Review, Vol. 35, No. 2, p. 127, 2013; Thomas Jefferson School of Law
Research Paper No. 2369671. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2369671
Three and Out: The NFLs Concussion Liability and How Players Can Tackle the Problem.
(2011-2012). VANDERBILT J. OF ENT. AND TECH. LAW, 14(3), 649th ser.Retrieved
February 26, 2016, from http://nflconcussionlitigation.com/wpcontent/uploads/2012/08/Gove.pdf
What is CTE? CTE Center | Boston University. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2016, from
http://www.bu.edu/cte/about/what-is-cte/