(WFRV) – Former Green Bay Packer quarterback Brett Favre was featured in the Concussion Legacy Foundation’s latest PSA asking parents to not enroll their kids in tackle football until they turn 14.
The goal of PSA is to educate parents on research revolving around children’s odds of developing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) double every additional three years they play tackle football.
“Having kids play before high school is just not worth the risk. CTE is a terrible disease, and we need to do everything we can to prevent it for the next generation of football players,” says Favre.
The Concussion Legacy Foundation says a child’s body is not designed for tackle football because the head grows faster than the body.
The PSA starts with a child talking to his parents about playing tackle football and then transitioning to a young adult talking and finally ending with Brett Favre talking to the same parents about the dangers of CTE. The video is just over one minute long.
The Concussion Legacy Foundation provided a list of NFL players that did not play tackle football before high school in an attempt to show that starting later does not prevent kids from having success in the NFL. Some of the NFL players include:
- Tom Brady – 9th grade
- Walter Payotn – 10th grade
- Jerry Rice – 10th grade
- Michael Strahan – 12th grade
- Julius Peppers – 9th grade
- Lawrence Taylor – 11th grade
More information regarding the Concussion Legacy Foundation can be found on their website.
