>>> PLAYING FOOTBALL, HOCKEY, SOCCER, THESE ARE SPORTS MOST OF
US HAVE TAKEN PART IN AND HAVE
PROBABLY ENCOURAGED OUR KIDS TO DO FOR YEARS.URAGED OUR KIDS TO
DO FOR YEARS. BUT AS PARENTS, DO WE NEED TO
START RETHINKING, HOW YOUNG IS
TOO YOUNG TO GET OUR CHILDREN
STARTED IN THESE SPORTS?
JOINING ME NOW, TWO-TIME SUPER BOWL CHAMPION WITH THE NEW YORK
GIANTS, LEONARD MARSHALL.
LEONARD IS HERE.
AND ED MARINARO WHO PLAYED FOR THE NEW YORK JETS, SEATTLE FOR
THE NEW YORK JETS, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AND THE MINNESOTA
VIKINGS.
VIKINGS.
ALSO MIKE ADAMLE IS BACK WITH US
ALONG WITH DR. ROBERT CANTU. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
HERE.
LEONARD, LET ME START WITH YOU.
I KNOW THAT YOU TOO HAVE BEEN
SHOWING SIGNS OF CTE.
>> YES.
>> WHATS YOUR THOUGHT ON
WHETHER WE SHOULD BE PUTTING
KIDS IN TACKLE FOOTBALL BEFORE
THE AGE OF 12?
>> WELL, MEGYN, YOU KNOW, THE
RESEARCH AND EVERYTHING THAT
IVE GONE THROUGH THE LAST
SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS AND THE READINGS AND ALL THE OTHER
PERIODICALS THAT IVE READ OVER
TIME ABOUT THIS IS THAT KIDS
BETWEEN THE AGES OF 8 AND 12 RUN
A SEVERE RISK OF HEAD INJURY
PLAYING YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL BETWEEN THE AGES OF 8 AND 12L
BETWEEN THE AGES OF 8 AND 12 YEARS OLD.
YEARS OLD. I THINK ITS A TOUGH,
COMPETITIVE SPORT TO BEGIN WITH,
BUT I THINK WHEN YOURE TAKING
YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE BRAIN IS
NOT FULLY DEVELOPED BETWEEN THAT
AGE GROUP, I THINK THAT YOU RUN
A SEVERE RISK.
>> I WAS SURPRISED THAT JUST
THIS YEAR, NOW THE PLAYERS,
INCLUDING AT THE SUPER BOWL,
THIS IS A NEW NFL PROTOCOL.
PLAYERS SHOWING SIGNS OF A
SEIZURE ARE TO BE PULLED FROM
THE GAME.
THE GAME. LIKE THIS WAS NOT IN PLACE
BEFORE.
BEFORE.
THIS WAS NOT IN PLACE BEFORE. ATHLETES THAT STUMBLED TO THE
GROUND WHEN TRYING TO STAND ARE
TO BE EXAMINED IN THE LOCKER
ROOM.
ROOM.
THEY HAVE TO HAVE PHYSICIANS WHO
ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE
TEAMS NOW ON THE SIDELINES TO
MAKE CALLS ABOUT THE HEALTH OF
THE PLAYERS.
DO YOU FEEL, ED, LIKE YOU WERE
LOOKED OUT FOR, LIKE THE NFL WAS CONSCIOUS OF PLAYER SAFETY WHENS
CONSCIOUS OF PLAYER SAFETY WHEN YOU WERE PLAYING?
>> NO.
>> NO. THEY WERENT.
THEY WERENT. NOT TO THE EXTENT IT IS TODAY.
BUT IT WAS JUST A DIFFERENT
TIME.
TIME.
I DONT THINK ITS FAIR TO COMPARE THAT PERIOD OF TIME TO
TODAY.
TODAY.
>> PEOPLE WERENT EVEN THINKING ABOUT IT. WERENT EVEN THINKING
ABOUT IT.
>> WE KNOW SO MUCH MORE ABOUT
IT.
AS FAR AS THE FLAG FOOTBALL, I
HAVE A 15-YEAR-OLD SON. ON AND OFF HES PLAYED TACKLE
FOOTBALL AND FLAG FOOTBALL.
HAD I KNOWN WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN TO
HIM, I MEAN IT CANT BE GOOD.
IM NOT A DOCTOR, BUT IT CANT
BE GOOD FOR SOME 12-YEAR-OLD KID
TO GET WHACKED IN THE HEAD 200
TIMES DURING A SEASON.
>> BUT SO MANY OF US GREW UP
LIKE THAT.
LIKE THAT. MY BROTHER IS A FOOTBALL PLAYER,
HIS SON IS A FOOTBALL PLAYER,
PUT THEM IN THERE FROM A YOUNG
AGE.
AGE.
I DONT THINK PEOPLE WERE AWARE, THE CONSCIOUSNESS WASNT THERE.,
THE CONSCIOUSNESS WASNT THERE. >> WE NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
ITS JUST SORT OF THE PRICE OF
DOING BUSINESS.
DOING BUSINESS. >> HOW DANGEROUS IS IT, DOC?
ONE DOCTOR WHO DID A RESEARCH
SEGMENT ON THIS, A STUDY ON
THIS, SAID THERES A SAFE WAY TO
PLAY FOOTBALL IS SAYING THERES
A SAFE WAY TO PLAY WITH FIRE,
THAT THERE ISNT.
THERE ISNT.
THERE ISNT. >> MEGYN, WERE FOCUSED ON
FOOTBALL, BUT I THINK ALL
COLLISION SPORTS AT THE YOUTH
LEVEL SHOULD BE PLAYED IN A SAFE
MANNER.
MANNER.
AND FOR FOOTBALL, THATS FLAG UNDER THE AGE OF 14, FOR SOCCER,
ITS NO HEADING, AND FOR ICE
HOCKEY ITS NO CHECKING.
AND SO WE WANT KIDS TO BE
PLAYING SPORTS, WE JUST WANT THE
YOUTH END OF IT TO BE PLAYING IN
A SAFER WAY.
>> CAN I ASK YOU, BECAUSE WE
HAVE A BRAIN SCAN OF A BRAIN
THAT HAS CTE STAGE 1 VERSUS ONE
THAT HAS CTE STAGE 4.
LOOK AT THAT.
LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE.
THIS -- YOU KNOW, PARENTS
THINKING ABOUT PUTTING THEIR
KIDS INTO SPORTS LOOKING AT THAT
ARE GOING TO BE SCARED.
THEYRE GOING TO BE SCARED.
SO WHAT DO THEY NEED TO KNOW?
>> I THINK WHAT THEY NEED TO
KNOW IS YOUR CHANCE OR YOUR RISK
FOR DEVELOPING CTE, AND NOT
EVERYBODY WILL DEVELOP IT NO
MATTER HOW MUCH HEAD TRAUMA THEY
TAKE, BUT THOSE THAT ARE
SUSCEPTIBLE TO DEVELOP IT WILL
BE MOST PRONE TO IT BASED ON THE
AMOUNT OF HEAD BLOWS THEY TAKE
OVER THEIR LIFETIME.
SO THE SOONER YOU START TAKING
IT, ESPECIALLY AT THOSE MOST
VULNERABLE AGES, UNDER THE AGE
OF 14, AND FOR HOW LONG YOU TAKE
IT IS GOING TO WIND UP
DETERMINING YOUR LIKELIHOOD FOR
DEVELOPING IT.
DEVELOPING IT.
>> HOW MUCH OF THIS IS CULTURAL,
RIGHT?
BECAUSE ITS LIKE GET IN THERE.
YOU KNOW, YOU PLAY HURT, GET UP.
RIGHT?
>> PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THE
PEOPLE THAT ARE TEACHING THESE
KIDS TO PLAY FOOTBALL, YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL, THEL, YOUTH
TACKLE FOOTBALL, THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS ASSOCIATED
WITH IT I THINK IS A LITTLE BIT
LACKADAISICAL.
LACKADAISICAL.
I THINK THAT YOU GET A LOT OF THESE MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK
GUYS WHO GO OUT THERE, THEYRE
FRUSTRATED ATHLETES AND JOCKS TO
BEGIN WITH AND DONT TEACH THE
RIGHT TECHNIQUE TO SOME OF THESE
YOUNG PEOPLE TO REALLY PLAY
TACKLE FOOTBALL.
TACKLE FOOTBALL.
THEN THERES THE OTHER PIECE THAT SOME OF THESE KIDS GO OUT
THERE AND TAKE THAT TOUGH GUY
THING FROM THEIR PARENT, NOT
UNDERSTANDING THAT YOURE
WORKING WITH OTHER KIDS, YOURE
WORKING SOMETIMES WITH YOUR
FRIENDS, YOURE TRYING TO LEARN
HOW TO PLAY COMPETITIVE SPORTS.
YOURE NOT REALLY LEARNING HOW
TO WIN RIGHT NOW AT THIS AGE.
SO WHETHER YOU WIN OR LOSE OR
WHATEVER REALLY DOESNT REALLY
MATTER.
MATTER.
WHAT DOES MATTER IS YOU LEARN
THE COMPETITION PIECE OF IT AND
WHAT IT TAKES TO REALLY --
>> THE CHARACTER PIECE.
>> YEAH, THE CHARACTER PIECE TO
BUILD THAT IN YOUNG PEOPLE AND
START AT AN EARLY AGE.
>> I KNOW YOURE NOT SHOWING
SIGNS OF CTE, ED, WHICH WERE
THANKFUL FOR.
WOULD YOU PLAY AGAIN?
WOULD YOU DO IT AGAIN WILLINGLY? >> YEAH.U DO IT AGAIN WILLINGLY?
>> YEAH. I MEAN FOOTBALL WAS GREAT TO ME
IN MY LIFE.
IT AFFORDED ME A GREAT
LIFESTYLE.
LIFESTYLE. I MADE GREAT FRIENDS, GREAT
MEMORIES.
MEMORIES.
ITS REALLY HARD TO THINK OF WOULD I NOT HAVE DONE IT BECAUSE
I DID IT AND IM OKAY RIGHT NOW.
IM LUCKY SO FAR.
HOPEFULLY ILL -- YOU KNOW, LIKE
MIKE, MIKE WAS ONE TOUGH DUDE.
HE USED TO TAKE PEOPLE ON.
>> CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT I HAD TO
BLOCK GUYS LIKE HIM?
HONEST.
THIS IS WHERE I HAD TO GET THEM,
RIGHT? HONEST.
HONEST. >> BUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME
AND MIKE IS MIKE WOULD TAKE HIM
ON.
ON.
I WOULD RUN OUT OF BOUNDS.
THE SIDELINE WAS MY FRIEND.
>> VERY SMART. >> ITS JUST SAD TO SEE LIKE
GUYS I PLAYED AGAINST, GUYS I
ADMIRED WHO ARE SUFFERING RIGHT
NOW.
NOW.
AND THATS WHY IVE BEEN GETTING
INVOLVED.
KIND OF NEW TO THE WHOLE DEAL, BUT THE WORK THAT THE CONCUSSION
LEGACY FOUNDATION IS DOING IS
GREAT.
GREAT.
CHRIS NEWINSKI HAS BEEN
SPEARHEADING IT, GREAT GUY. >> GOOD FOR YOU GUYS CALLING
ATTENTION TO IT BECAUSE ITS NOT
EASY TO PUT YOUR FACE ON
NATIONAL TELEVISION AND SAY
THESE ARE MY SYMPTOMS, THIS IS
WHAT IVE BEEN THROUGH, YOURE
NOT ALONE AND YOU KNOW YOURE
HELPING OTHERS.
HELPING OTHERS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE ON THE SHOW. MUCH FOR BEING HERE
ON THE SHOW.
>>> I WANT TO TELL OUR AUDIENCE THAT NBC REACHED OUT TO THE NFL
TO RESPOND TO OUR SEGMENT.
THE ORGANIZATION SAID THAT IT
HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES TO
TRY TO BETTER PROTECT PLAYERS
AND HIGHLIGHTED SOME OF THE
SPECIFIC THINGS OVER THE YEARS
INCLUDING GAME RULE CHANGES AND
DOCTORS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH
TEAMS ON THE SIDELINES.
THEY HAVE ALSO MANDATED ONGOING
HEALTH AND SAFETY EDUCATION FOR
SOME PLAYERS AND SAY THEYRE
MAKING SAFER EQUIPMENT, MORE
LIMITS ON CONTACT IN PRACTICE
AMONG SEVERAL OTHER ACTIONS.
IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT THE MIKE ADAMLE PROJECT,
RISE ABOVE, RISE ABOVE ITS
CALLED, VISIT