NFL Talks Concussions with DC Lawmakers
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iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — The NFL joined representatives from the NHL and medical doctors to let Congress know how head injuries are affecting American athletes from junior programs to the pros, saying they are devising safer helmets to guard against the chances of players suffering concussions.
Jeffery Miller, senior vice president for player health and safety policy at the National Football League, testified in Washington that while “football has earned a vital place in the rhythm of American life,” helmets for players have not caught up to what is necessary to protect players.
“Football helmets were designed to protect against skull fractures and they do a fabulous job of that. They were not designed to prevent against concussions, and so that sort of technology or design I know the helmet manufactures are working on it. We are not there yet and the league is doing what it can to inspire that, especially with our partnership with GE and Under Armour to get new ideas around that,” Miller said.
“The other thing we do is we do regular helmet testing in concert with our friends at the Players Association so we can inform the players of which helmets are working best.”
According to Miller, nearly 6 million kids play tackle or flag football in the U.S. Approximately 1.1 million play in high school, 75,000 in college.
And they take the hits, just like the pros.
“We take that popularity seriously, with it comes a great deal of responsibility and that’s one we embrace,” Miller said.
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