Catastrophic brain injuries rise in football

By Michael Tomsic

More football players suffered severe brain injuries last year than any year since the mid-1980s. That’s according to a recent report by UNC’s National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research. It tracks the number and severity of brain injuries in football every year, and it’s never found more than it did last year, both among high school players and if you add up the numbers from youth football to the pros.

UNC Exercise and Sports Science professor Fred Mueller is the report’s lead author. He spoke with Carolina Connection’s Michael Tomsic about how serious the problem is and what can be done about it.