Just a day before his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, former Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis voiced his concerns about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Terrell Davis voices CTE concerns on the eve of Hall of Fame induction
The former Denver Broncos running back says he and others are “scared” and “concerned” about the future.
According to the Denver Post, Davis spoke about his fear of how playing football might impact his brain.
“I can’t lie, we’re all scared,” Davis said. “We’re concerned because we don’t know what the future holds. When I’m at home and I do something, if I forget something I have to stop to think, ‘Is this because I’m getting older or I’m just not using my brain, or is this an effect of playing football?’ I don’t know that.”
In July, a study was published in the Journal of The American Medical Association that examined the brains of 202 former football players across different levels of play and found that 177 had CTE. The study went on to show that of the 111 NFL brains examined, 110 had CTE.
Despite his fears, Davis is optimistic about the future of the game and said he would even let his kids play.
“Yeah, I’m scared, so I try to stay as active as possible, keep my mind as sharp as possible. But I also know the game has gone through great lengths to change, from Pop Warner to college. People ask me the question, would you let your kids play? Yeah, I would. Now, 10 years ago I may have said something different. But now, the way they’re teaching kids to tackle, the fact that they identify concussions a lot faster, they sit you out a couple plays, you’re not going to practice as long. All that stuff is helping the game of football. But, yes, I’m concerned.”
During his time in Denver, Davis rushed for 7,607 yards and 60 touchdowns. He led the Broncos to the team’s first title in 1998 against the Green Bay Packers, where he rushed for 157 yards and set a Super Bowl record with three touchdowns on the ground.
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