Dan Rather Reports

Episode Number: 408

Episode Title: Knocking Heads

Description: New science has determined young athletes are risking permanent brain damage if concussions are untreated. Also, professional athletes and brain damage.

Transcript:

IT WAS ONE PLAY THAT KIND OF JUST-- PRETTY MUCH TURNED MY LIFE AROUND. HE'S PLAYED FOOTBALL SINCE MIDGETS. AND THIS WAS HIS DREAM TO BE THE QUARTERBACK AND HE'S GOTTEN TO THAT POINT AND HE CAN'T DO IT.

ONE OF THE BIG PROBLEMS WITH CONCUSSION IS-- IS IT CAN HAPPEN, AND THEN THE CHILD WON'T WANT TO TELL ANYBODY, BECAUSE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR THEM IN THE WORLD IS TO GET BACK OUT THERE ON THE FIELD AND PLAY.

THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. THIS IS A GAME THAT THE NFL PROMOTES TO KIDS, AND WE NEED TO START DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

WE'LL BRING YOU THE NEWS TONIGHT ON DAN RATHER REPORTS.

GOOD EVENING. TONIGHT...ATHLETES AND INJURIES YOU CAN'T SEE. IF YOU FOLLOW SPORTS ON TELEVISION OR RADIO, YOU'LL OFTEN HEAR THE ANNOUNCERS PRAISE AN ATHLETE FOR RETURNING TO THE GAME AFTER QUOTE "GETTING HIS BELL RUNG"".. OFTEN THAT MEANS A PLAYER SUFFERED A CONCUSSION.... AND SCIENTISTS NOW BELIEVE GETTING BACK IN THE GAME IS DANGEROUS AND COULD BE DEADLY. THE U-S GOVERNMENT SAYS SPORTS RELATED CONCUSSIONS ARE NOW EPIDEMIC. THERE ARE MORE THAN THREE POINT EIGHT MILLION SPORTS AND RECREATION CONCUSSIONS EVERY YEAR IN THIS COUNTRY. MOST OF THE TIME, WITH PROPER CARE...ATHLETES MAKE A FULL RECOVERY. BUT WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH THE STORY OF ONE YOUNG FOOTBALL PLAYER WHO HAD ALL THE PADDING AVAILABLE... BUT IT WASN'T ENOUGH TO PREVENT HIM FROM SUFFERING CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO HIS FRAGILE YOUNG BRAIN.

I WAS NEVER SO SCARED IN MY LIFE. I MEAN, THERE'S NOTHING-- THERE'S NO PAIN THAT I EVER-- COULD EVER FEEL WORSE THAN THAT PAIN. VICTOR LYSTEDT'S LIFE CHANGED IN AN INSTANT ON THIS FOOTBALL FIELD ONE SUNNY FALL AFTERNOON IN 2006.

YOU KNOW, IT'S A MOMENT THAT-- I WOULDN'T WISH ON ANY PARENT. I MEAN, YOUR CHILD, JUST ONE DAY BEFORE THAT, WAS PERFECT. I-- I MEAN, THERE WASN'T ANYTHING WRONG WITH YOUR CHILD. AND THEN, ONE DAY LATER, YOU DON'T KNOW IF YOUR CHILD'S GONNA LIVE. AND THEY'RE FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIFE FOR DAY AFTER DAY, AFTER DAY. HIS SON, STAR ATHLETE ZACK LYSTEDT USED TO HAVE A LOT OF BIG DAYS. ON THE BASEBALL FIELD, HE SCORED TWO RUNS TO SEND HIS TEAM INTO EXTRA INNINGS, AND ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD HE PLAYED BOTH OFFENSE AND DEFENSE FOR HIS SEATTLE AREA TEAM. I NEVER MISSED ANY OF ZACKERY'S GAMES. ALWAYS-- ALWAYS EXCITED TO WATCH MY SON PLAY FOOTBALL. HE-- EXCELLED AT IT. AND SO I-- I WANTED TO SEE HIM PERFORM. OCTOBER 12TH, 2006 STARTED OUT LIKE ANY OTHER AFTERNOON FOOTBALL GAME. ZACK WAS IN THE 8TH GRADE. NUMBER 31 IN THE CENTER OF YOUR SCREEN. THIS PLAY IN THE 2ND QUARTER WAS WHEN ZACK'S LIFE WENT HORRIBLY WRONG.

HERE'S ANOTHER ANGLE. YOU CAN SEE HIM CATCH UP WITH HIS OPPONENT AND MAKE A TACKLE. HIS HEAD SNAPS BACKWARDS AND HITS THE FIELD. ZACK PUTS HIS HANDS UP TO HIS HEAD ROCKING BACK AND FORTH. DOCTORS LATER SAID THIS IS WHEN HE SUSTAINED A CONCUSSION AND SHOULD NOT HAVE RETURNED TO PLAY. BUT IN THE SECOND HALF, HE WAS BACK IN THE GAME. ZACK PLAYED DEFENSE - HE'S IN THE PILE THERE MAKING THE TACKLE. AND HE PLAYED OFFENSE - HERE HE CARRIES THE BALL AND HERE HE MAKES A BLOCK. WITH HIS BRAIN STILL RECOVERING FROM THE FIRST CONCUSSION, DOCTORS NOW BELIEVE THESE ADDITIONAL HITS CAUSED EVEN MORE DANGEROUS PRESSURE INSIDE HIS SKULL. HIS DAD COULD TELL SOMETHING WAS OFF. AT THE VERY END OF THE GAME-- I NOTICED MY SON-- WAS SHAKING HIS HEAD, AND-- AND NOT DOING WHAT A NORMAL CHILD SHOULD DO. AND-- AND I DIDN'T-- I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON. AND I STARTED GETTING A LITTLE CONCERNED. AND I WALKED OUT AND ASKED ZACK WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HIM AND HE SAID "DAD, MY HEAD HURTS REALLY BAD. MY HEAD HURTS REALLY BAD." AND-- HE STARTED LOSING CONSCIOUSNESS-- WENT DOWN TO THE GROUND, AND-- SUFFERED STROKE AFTER STROKE. WITH BRAIN CELLS QUICKLY DYING, ZACK WAS AIRLIFTED FROM THE FOOTBALL FIELD TO SEATTLE'S HARBORVIEW MEDICAL CENTER. HE SPENT A WEEK IN THE ICU, THREE MONTHS IN A COMA AND HAD SURGERIES ON BOTH SIDES OF HIS BRAIN. HIS MOTHER MERCEDES REMEMBERS... IT WAS ALWAYS NERVE RACKING WHEN THE DOCTORS WOULD COME IN AND CHECK EVERYTHING, AND STUFF. AND YOU COULD SEE THE-- YOU KNOW, THE ONLY THING THAT WAS PROTECTING THE BRAIN WAS THE SKIN. AND EVERY TIME THEY TOUCHED HIM, YOU WERE AFRAID, "OH, MY GOSH, YOU KNOW, I HOPE THEY'RE NOT DOING SOMETHING TO HURT HIM." THEY REASSURED US THAT THEY WEREN'T. BUT YOU STILL AREN'T, YOU KNOW, SURE OF THAT... HE COULDN'T SAY ANYTHING. HE DIDN'T SAY HIS FIRST WORD UNTIL ABOUT NINE MONTHS. HE SAID, "OH" NINE MONTHS AFTER HIS INJURY. HE COULDN'T MOVE ANY PART OF HIS BODY FOR ABOUT 13 MONTHS. AND HE STARTED MOVING HIS LEFT SIDE A LITTLE. AND THE LYSTEDTS HAVE STARTED TO SEE THESE TINY ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS MAJOR VICTORIES.

THIS IS ZACK LYSTEDT TODAY. THE TOUCHDOWNS AND TACKLES ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD ARE GONE, BUT ZACK STILL ENJOYS PLAYING SPORTS THROUGH VIDEO GAMES.

HE'S EVEN LEARNED TO PLAY WII USING HIS LEFT ARM. IT'S TOO FAR OVER! YOU WOULD HAVE GONE IN THE GUTTER! AND HE'S ABLE TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH HIS BEST FRIEND NYAH.

OH, GOOD JOB, NYAH. SHUT UP... YOUR MOTHER INSTINCT KICKS IN AGAIN. AND YOU WANNA JUST MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS TAKING CARE OF, AND YOUR CHILD BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. AND SO, YOU START DOING THE THINGS YOU WOULD AS A MOTHER. MERCEDES QUIT HER JOB AS A DENTAL ASSISTANT AND SNAPPED INTO ACTION...ZAK! TIRELESSLY TAKING CARE OF ZACK'S EVERYDAY NEEDS. NOW, REMEMBER TO SWALLOW WHEN I GIVE YOU THESE MEDS. THAT'S JUST WATER. I HAD-- ALREADY RAISED HIM, PRETTY MUCH. AND IT'S LIKE STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN, AND HAVING AN INFANT. BUT THIS INFANT WEIGHS 140 POUNDS.

HEY, GET HIM SOMETHING REAL QUICK. THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW. SHE FEEDS HIM ...

MAKES SURE HE GETS HIS MEDS ON TIME...

AND STILL HASN'T QUITE SHAKEN ALL THE HABITS OF HER OLD JOB...

ZACK IS A SOPHOMORE NOW. HE WAS FORCED TO MISS A FULL YEAR OF SCHOOL TO CONCENTRATE ON HIS RECOVERY, AND EVEN NOW HE CAN'T GO FULL TIME. OOH OOH OOH! WE GOTTA GET ON THIS ELEVATOR... WE SPENT A TYPICAL DAY WITH HIM AND SAW JUST HOW GRUELING HIS SCHEDULE IS. PULL ZAK. PULL, PULL, PULL, PULL, PULL, PULL PULL! NICE WORK! FIRST STOP IN THE MORNING, PHYSICAL THERAPY TO WORK ON RE-LEARNING HOW TO WALK .... GET TALL. BRING THAT WEIGHT FORWARD. GOOD JOB, ZACK. THEN SPEECH THERAPY FOR IMPROVED LANGUAGE AND REASONING SKILLS. MAKING INFERENCES AND DRAWING CONCLUSIONS. OH, I KNOW HOW TO DO THAT. SECOND GOOD CATCH. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY FOR COORDINATION I CAUGHT IT. OK. NOW WE'RE COMIN' OUT...AND AFTER A QUICK MEAL IN THE VAN, HE'S OFF TO WORK WITH A PERSONAL TRAINER AT A LOCAL GYM TO TRY TO RE-BUILD HIS MUSCLES. SO KEEP IT SLOW. CONTROL IT A LITTLE. THE HARDEST PART OF SEEING THEIR SON GO THROUGH THIS IS KNOWING IT WAS ALL PREVENTABLE. THE LYSTEDTS HAVE FILED A CLAIM AGAINST THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PARTLY BECAUSE ZACK WAS SENT BACK INTO THE GAME AFTER HIS FIRST HEAD INJURY. A LAWYER FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS THE COACHES DID INDEED EVALUATE ZACK FOR A CONCUSSION AFTER THAT FIRST HIT TO THE HEAD, AND FELT COMFORTABLE RETURNING HIM TO PLAY - A MOVE THEY BELIEVE WOULD NOT HAVE CHANGED THE OUTCOME OF ZACK'S MEDICAL CONDITION. MY SON HAD A CONCUSSION, WAS RETURNED TO PLAY WITHOUT BEING EVALUATED CORRECTLY, AND HAD MULTIPLE HITS AFTER THAT THAT LED TO HIS INJURY, THE WAY HE IS RIGHT NOW. IF HE WOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN OUT OF THE GAME, AND NOT RETURNED TO PLAY, ALL THE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS SAID MY SON WOULD NOT BE THE WAY HE IS RIGHT NOW. THEY ALL SAY THAT.

HUSTLE UP, ZACK, LET'S GO!

DON'T GO ON MY KNEE. I LEARNED NOT TO GO ON MY KNEE FROM MY DAD. IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO TRADE ME SPOTS FOR A MINUTE, THEY WOULD TOTALLY UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT TO-- TO KIDS, TO PARENTS, TO COACHES, WHAT THE LONG-LASTING EFFECT OF A CONCUSSION, AND RETURNING TO PLAY, IS.

ZACK'S INJURIES ARE SEVERE BUT HE STILL CONSIDERS HIMSELF LUCKY. LAST YEAR 5 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYERS DIED DURING GAMES OR PRACTICES FROM GETTING A CONCUSSION ON TOP OF A CONCUSSION - A CONDITION KNOW AS SECOND IMPACT SYNDROME. WE OBTAINED A SOON TO BE RELEASED STUDY BY NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL IN OHIO THAT FOUND AN ALARMING 41 PERCENT OF HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES WITH CONCUSSION RETURNED TO PLAY TOO SOON. AND WHILE FOOTBALL HAS BY FAR THE HIGHEST RATE OF CONCUSSIONS COMPARED TO ANY OTHER SPORT: HOCKEY, WRESTLING GYMNASTICS, LACROSSE, VOLLEYBALL, CHEERLEADING, BASKETBALL, BASEBALL, SOFTBALL AND SOCCER ALL HAVE THEIR FAIR SHARE. CONCUSSIONS HAPPEN WHEN THE BRAIN IS SHAKEN INSIDE THE SKULL. AND EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE COMMON IN SPORTS MANY COACHES AND TRAINERS STILL DON'T KNOW HOW TO MANAGE THEM. THAT'S PARTIALLY BECAUSE THERE IS NO ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL GUIDELINE FOR WHAT TO DO WHEN A PLAYER GETS ONE. SOME ATHLETES WILL HEAL IN A COUPLE DAYS AND SOME IN A COUPLE MONTHS. RESEARCHERS ARE JUST BEGINNING TO UNLOCK THE REASONS WHY.

WE TRAVELED TO PITTSBURGH - HOME TO THE FIRST AND LARGEST CONCUSSION CENTER OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD. THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH'S SPORTS MEDICINE CONCUSSION PROGRAM SHARES A CAMPUS WITH THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS AND TREATS PLAYERS FROM THE NFL, THE NHL, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AND CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING. BUT IT'S NOT JUST THE PROS - THEY ALSO SEE UP TO 150 KIDS A WEEK WITH CONCUSSIONS FROM SPORTS. GIVE ME THE STRANGEST THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED TO YOU FROM A MEMORY STANDPOINT, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY. SOMETIMES I WOULD GO DOWNSTAIRS AND TRY AND GET SOMETHING TO EAT AND I'D FORGET WHAT I WAS DOING. AND I'D START WATCHING TV AND LIKE 10 MINUTES LATER I'D BE LIKE WHAT WAS I DOING AGAIN? LIKE MY AP CLASSES, LIKE MY HEAD STARTS TO HURT. WE MET WRESTLER JARRET CRISS ON THE FIRST DAY HIS MOTHER BROUGHT HIM INTO THE CONCUSSION CENTER. STAND ON THAT FOR ME. JARRET, A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR, WAS OBVIOUSLY STILL FEELING THE EFFECTS OF TOO MANY CONCUSSIONS. CLOSE YOUR EYES. DR. COLLINS IS THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE CONCUSSION PROGRAM HERE. I WANT YOU TO JUST CLOSE YOUR EYES. HE'S RUNNING JARRET THROUGH A BUNCH OF SIMPLE TESTS TO EVALUATE HOW BAD HIS CONCUSSIONS ARE.... DO YOU FEEL LIKE WHEN YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES YOU'RE JUST, YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO CENTER YOURSELF. YEAH I FEEL LIKE I'M MOVING. HE'S WORRIED ABOUT WHAT HE SEES. STICK YOUR THUMB OUT. HE HAS SEVERE HEADACHES. HE'S VERY FOGGY. HE'S GOTTA REALLY SLOWED PROCESSING. IT'S ALMOST LIKE HIS PENTIUM FOUR IS LIKE A PENTIUM THREE. YOU KNOW, THE BRAIN'S JUST SLOWER. YOU CAN SEE THAT WHEN YOU TALK TO HIM. FASTER, COME ON, FASTER, FASTER. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DO THAT? I GET BLURRED AND LIKE BLURRED VISION, I CAN SEE LIKE DOUBLE-VISION KINDA ON MY THUMB. HE HAS A LOT OF SPACE AND MOTION DISCOMFORT. HIS VESTIBULAR SYSTEM ISN'T WORKING PROPERLY, UM AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE EVALUATION AS WELL. BUT HE'S GOT A LOT OF FATIGUE, A LOT OF THINKING PROBLEMS, A LOT OF EMOTIONAL THINGS GOING ON FOR HIM RIGHT NOW. I THINK NOT ONLY BECAUSE HE CAN'T WRESTLE BUT BECAUSE OF THE CONCUSSION TOO. PLAYING FOOTBALL AT WEST MIFLIN HAS TAUGHT ME A LOT OF THINGS... HOW TO... HOW TO WORK HARD...JARRET FIRST SUFFERED A CONCUSSION DURING FOOTBALL SEASON BUT CONTINUED TO PLAY BEFORE THE CONCUSSION HAD FULLY HEALED. HE HIT HIS HEAD A FEW MORE TIMES, AND THEN SUSTAINED ANOTHER COUPLE CONCUSSIONS DURING WRESTLING SEASON. BUT HE WAS RELUCTANT TO SIT OUT. WE KNOW THAT YOU PLAYED THROUGH THESE SYMPTOMS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. WHY? I DIDN'T WANT TO LET MY TEAM DOWN. I DON'T BELIEVE IN LIKE, LIKE SITTING OUT UNLESS I'M REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HURT. I ALWAYS WANTED TO HELP OUT MY TEAM, I NEVER WANTED TO SEEM LIKE I WAS LIKE WEAKER THAN SOMEONE. I ALWAYS WANTED TO PUSH THROUGH STUFF. I CAN TELL MY KID'S DEPRESSED. HE'S DEPRESSED. AND THIS IS NOT HIM. CHRISTINA LUNA SAYS THE FIRST DOCTORS SHE TOOK HER SON TO DIDN'T THINK JARRET'S CONCUSSIONS WERE A BIG DEAL.... AND THE DOCTOR WOULD BE LIKE, "WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU SEEM TO BE OKAY. YOU KNOW, ALL YOUR SCANS CAME BACK NEGATIVE. IF YOU'RE FEELING OKAY, THEN WE'LL-- YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND GET INTO THE SWING OF THINGS." AND-- I MEAN, AS LONG AS THE DOCTOR SAYS IT'S OKAY, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST-- HE'S-- THE DOCTOR'S THE DOCTOR. LUNA SAID AFTER TALKING TO JARRET'S COACH SHE THINKS JARRET MAY HAVE HAD UP TO 5 CONCUSSIONS. AND DR. COLLINS WISHES HE HAD SEEN JARRET MUCH SOONER. IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE MANAGED. THIS IS AN INJURY THAT WE CAN MANAGE YOU EFFECTIVELY AND IN MY OPINION HIT THE RESET BUTTON ON YOU. AND I STILL THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA HOPEFULLY GET YOU BETTER FROM THIS JARRET, OKAY?

I GET FRUSTRATED-- BECAUSE IT'S ALL PREVENTABLE. WE REALLY KNOW HOW TO MANAGE THIS STUFF WELL AT THIS POINT. LET US MANAGE IT. AND-- AND IF WE DO THAT, I THINK WE CAN AVOID MORBIDITY AND PROBLEMS FROM-- THIS IS A KID WHERE HE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE GOING THROUGH THIS RIGHT NOW. AND THAT'S WHAT'S FRUSTRATING TO ME. ONE OF THE BIG PROBLEMS WITH CONCUSSION IS-- IS IT CAN HAPPEN, AND IT-- AND IT DOESN'T GET PICKED UP ON THE FIELD. AND THEN THE CHILD WON'T WANT TO TELL ANYBODY, BECAUSE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR THEM IN THE WORLD IS TO GET BACK OUT THERE ON THE FIELD AND PLAY. DR. MARK LOVELL IS THE FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE CONCUSSION PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AND ONE OF THE LEADING SPORTS CONCUSSION EXPERTS IN THE COUNTRY. HE AND DR. COLLINS ARE BOTH PHD RESEARCHERS, DRIVEN TO PUT THEIR FINDINGS INTO PRACTICE. DR. LOVELL SAYS THE HUMAN BRAIN IS THE LAST FRONTIER OF MEDICINE AND THAT THEY'VE ONLY RECENTLY DISCOVERED JUST HOW COMPLEX CONCUSSION RECOVERY IS. MOST OF WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT CONCUSSION WE'VE LEARNED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. THE CDC HAS CALLED IT AN EPIDEMIC, AND HAS PUT FORTH MAJOR EFFORT OVER THE LAST FIVE OR SIX YEARS INTO GETTING THE WORD OUT TO COACHES, PARENTS, ATHLETES. THAT DEFINITELY NEEDED TO BE DONE. BECAUSE THERE'S STILL PEOPLE OUT THERE, EVEN IN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY, WHO DON'T SEE THIS AS BEING A SERIOUS ISSUE. OTHER PEOPLE LOOK AT YOU, THEY SAY, "OH, YOU LOOK OKAY TO ME." "YOU LOOK FINE." YEAH. AND YOU'RE NOT OKAY. HERE DR. LOVELL MEETS WITH 16-YEAR-OLD CHEERLEADER ANGELICA KRUTH AND HER MOTHER DOREEN. ANGELICA HAS BEEN COMING TO THE CENTER FOR A YEAR OF TREATMENT AFTER SUFFERING A CONCUSSION FROM ONE BAD BLOW IN PRACTICE. SINCE I'M A CHEERLEADER FOR FOOTBALL, I ALWAYS HEAR MY FRIENDS, "OH, I GOT A CONCUSSION. I'LL BE BACK IN A WEEK." THE FIRST DOCTOR I WENT TO, THEY'RE LIKE, "OH, WHIPLASH, CONCUSSION, YOU'LL BE FINE IN A WEEK." AND THEN WHEN NOTHING WAS GETTING BETTER, YOU START-- I STARTED QUESTIONING, DO I HAVE SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S WRONG? OR, REALLY, WHAT'S GOING ON?

ANGELICA WAS A FLIER FOR HER CHEERLEADING TEAM THE PERSON WHO GETS TOSSED UP INTO THE AIR. BUT ONE DAY AT PRACTICE THEY DIDN'T CATCH HER ON THE WAY BACK DOWN. AND EVEN THOUGH SHE CAME CRASHING TO THE GYM FLOOR, MISSING THE MAT COMPLETELY WHEN SHE FELL, ANGELICA WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. THE COACH ACTUALLY STUCK ME RIGHT BACK INTO THE SAME STUNT THAT I JUST FELL IN. SO I DID THAT STUNT AGAIN. AND I-- I THINK I DID IT A COUPLE MORE TIMES, I'M NOT SURE. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS ACTUALLY WRONG. I THINK-- SOMETHING WAS CLEARLY WRONG WITH ME, 'CAUSE I WENT RIGHT BACK INTO IT WITHOUT EVEN HESITATING. I DID THAT A COUPLE MORE TIMES, AND THEN THEY NEVER EVEN SAID ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I MEAN, THEY DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS, LIKE, SOME INTERNAL BLEEDING OR ANYTHING. THEY JUST THOUGHT I WAS FINE. SO THEY NEVER REALLY WORRIED ABOUT IT. I WATCHED MY DAUGHTER -- NOT KNOW A LOT OF THINGS. NOT REMEMBER A LOT OF THINGS. SHE-- PHYSICALLY, COULD NOT DO ANY OF THE THINGS THAT SHE USED TO DO. ALL THE WAY FROM JUST NORMAL-- WALKING. SHE COULD NOT READ. SHE COULD NOT FOCUS.

AFTER A YEAR OF THERAPY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SPORTS MEDICINE CENTER ANGELICA IS DOING MUCH BETTER. WHEN I ORIGINALLY STARTED IT, IT WAS SO SLOW AND I COULD NEVER EVEN BALANCE, LIKE I WOULD FALL OF THE BLOCK. BUT IT'S GETTING BETTER.

BUT THIS PHYSICAL THERAPY WAS ONLY PART OF THE TREATMENT. THE BIGGEST RECOMMENDATION THE DOCTORS HERE GIVE IS REST THE BRAIN. FOR THE NEXT YEAR I WAS JUST NOTHING. I'VE-- I DIDN'T WATCH-- I COULDN'T EVEN WATCH TV. I COULDN'T-- I COULDN'T GO TO SCHOOL. I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING. SO I WAS TAKEN OUT OF ALL MY SPORTS. I WAS TAKEN OUT OF MY CLASSES. SO I DID NOTHING. I REMEMBER I JUST LIVED IN MY BED. NOW DR. LOVELL GIVES HER A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH, BUT ANGELICA'S STILL PICKING UP THE PIECES. I LOST A LOT OF FRIENDS BECAUSE OF THAT. REALLY? A LOT YEAH. I PERSONALLY THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS THE HARDEST THING OF GETTING BACK FOR HER. SHE-- IT-- IT'S FUNNY. IT WAS LIKE, MIXED FEELINGS. A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T BELIEVE IT, THEY THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A CONCUSSION, IT'S A WEEK MAXIMUM TWO WEEKS. SO-- THEY DIDN'T ALWAYS BELIEVE HER. FIGHT! FIGHT! ONE OF OUR PRIMARY MISSIONS-- OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS HAS BEEN TO BETTER EDUCATE NOT ONLY THE DOCTORS, THE COACHES-- AND THE PARENTS, BUT TO EDUCATE THE ATHLETES. BECAUSE IF MORE ATHLETES, EVEN AT A-- AT A YOUNGER AGE, UNDERSTOOD-- THAT-- THAT THIS WAS A REAL INJURY, THEY'D BE MORE LIKELY TO REPORT IT.

IN SURVEYS WHERE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYERS WERE ASKED IF THEY 'D A CONCUSSION THAT SEASON, 15 PERCENT SAID THEY DID. BUT WHEN THE WORD 'CONCUSSION' WAS REMOVED AND JUST A DESCRIPTION OF CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS WAS LISTED, 50 PERCENT SAID THEY HAD ONE.

MY FUTURE FOOTBALL CAREER IS OVER. THERE IS REALLY (CHUCKLE) NO FUTURE WITH MY FOOTBALL. I JUST FOUND THAT OUT MY LAST DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT. BRETT MARABITO IS ONE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYER WHO KNOWS HE HAD A CONCUSSION. WELL, IT WAS THE ONLY HALF I GOT TO PLAY IN THIS YEAR. EVERYTHING WAS PRETTY MUCH GOING WELL FOR ME-- IN THE FIRST HALF AND THEN JUST-- IT WAS ONE PLAY THAT KIND OF JUST-- PRETTY MUCH TURNED MY LIFE AROUND. I FUMBLED THE SNAP-- I WAS THE QUARTERBACK, I FUMBLED THE SNAP. I PICKED IT UP. I RAN AROUND THE EDGE. AND I GOT TACKLED AND I WAS LAYING ON MY BACK AND A KID PILED ON TOP OF ME. AND-- THE FOREARM WENT UNDERNEATH MY CHIN. IT KIND OF LIKE, SNAPPED MY HEAD BACKWARDS. BRETT SAYS AFTER THAT, HE DOESN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING. HE STAYED IN THE GAME, BUT HE ONLY KNOWS WHAT HIS TEAMMATES TOLD HIM. I WALKED INTO THE LOCKER ROOM AT HALF TIME. THEY SAID I COULDN'T WALK A STRAIGHT LINE. AND THEY SAID I JUST WASN'T MYSELF IN THE LOCKER ROOM, I'M NORMALLY LAID BACK. BUT I GUESS I WAS JUST MEAN TO EVERYBODY. I-- I FEEL BAD FOR IT NOW, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER IT. AND GOING OUT FOR THE SECOND HALF, I TRIED TO PUT MY HELMET ON AND SNEAK OUT WITH THE REST OF THE TEAM. THAT'S HOW BADLY I WANTED TO PLAY. I WANTED TO BE OUT THERE WITH MY TEAM. BUT THE TEAM HAD TO PLAY THE SECOND HALF WITHOUT HIM... BRETT WAS RUSHED TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. AND THERE, IT WAS THE SAME OLD SONG - WITH REST, YOU SHOULD BE FINE IN A FEW DAYS. BUT BRETT WASN'T FINE. AND AFTER 2 WEEKS OF HEADACHES AND DIZZINESS, BRETT'S MOM BROUGHT HIM TO DR. LOVELL. WHAT WE'RE DOING IS MEASURING MEMORY. WE'RE ALSO MEASURING REACTION TIME - HOW FAST YOU CAN RESPOND WHEN THINGS POP..... UP ON THE SCREEN. TRY TO DO THE BEST JOB YOU CAN DOING BOTH OF THOSE THINGS. DR. LOVELL IS GIVING BRETT THE IMPACT TEST, A CONCUSSION EVALUATION TOOL HE PIONEERED. ONE ELEMENT OF THE TEST INVOLVES THE ATHLETE BEING SHOWN A SERIES OF WORDS THAT THEY ARE LATER ASKED TO REMEMBER WHETHER THEY SAW OR NOT. BRETT'S FIRST IMPACT TEST WAS ADMINISTERED AFTER HE'D SUFFERED HIS CONCUSSION. AT FIRST I PROBABLY COULDN'T REMEMBER HALF OF THESE WORDS... AND AS OF RIGHT NOW I HAVE, I THINK I GOT EVERY SINGLE ONE RIGHT. BUT DR. LOVELL'S IDEAL SITUATION INVOLVES ALL ATHLETES IN SPORTS PROGRAMS TAKING THIS TEST AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON BEFORE ANY INJURIES HAPPEN, SO THAT EACH ATHLETE HAS AN ESTABLISHED BASELINE PERFORMANCE ON THE TEST. LET'S GO NOW. WHEN A CONCUSSION OCCURS, THE IMPACT TEST IS GIVEN AGAIN TO SEE HOW SEVERELY A CONCUSSION IS AFFECTING AN ATHLETE'S BRAIN FUNCTIONS.

THE IMPACT TEST IS NOW USED BY ALMOST EVERY PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY AND FOOTBALL TEAM IN THE U-S. AND DR. LOVELL IS ENCOURAGING EVERY HIGH SCHOOL TO USE THE TEST TOO. BECAUSE WHILE THERE ARE 18,000 PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES IN THE U.S., THERE ARE 7 AND A HALF MILLION HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES. BRETT'S MOM SHEILA MARABITO SAYS WHEN PEOPLE SEE BRETT WALKING AND TALKING AND ACTING LIKE A NORMAL TEENAGER THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW SERIOUS HIS CONDITION IS. THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND ENOUGH. YOU KNOW, LIKE, THE DAY WE WERE TAKIN' HIM TO SCHOOL, I TOOK HIM OUT TO SIGN HIM UP FOR HOMEBOUND. YOU KNOW, WE WERE ASKED, "ARE YOU REALLY THAT BAD?" AND I SAID, "WE WOULDN'T BE HERE. AND-- THIS IS NOT ONE OF OUR GOALS TO BE HOMEBOUND INSTRUCTIONS, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE TUTORS COME TO OUR HOME." AND AFTER YEARS OF LIVING A LIFE DEVOTED TO BRETT'S FOOTBALL CAREER, DRIVING HIM TO PRACTICES AND CHEERING HIM ON AT GAMES IT'S HARD TO SEE IT ALL COME TO AN END. YES, HE'S PLAYED FOOTBALL SINCE MIDGETS. AND THIS WAS HIS DREAM TO BE THE QUARTERBACK, STARTING QUARTERBACK. AND HE'S GOTTEN TO THAT POINT HE CAN'T DO IT NOW. BUT HE'LL SUCCEED IN WHAT HE DOES DO.

ALRIGHT HERE COMES THE BIG DAY DUDE.

THIS IS THE BIG DAY MAN. PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DAYS OF MY LIFE. IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT DAY. BACK IN SEATTLE ZACK LYSTEDT IS EXCITED ABOUT THE TRIP HE AND HIS FAMILY ARE ABOUT TO TAKE. THIS DAY IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THIS IS THE DAY HE HOPES HE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OTHER KID'S LIVES. TODAY ZACK IS GOING DOWN TO HIS STATE CAPITOL, OLYMPIA WASHINGTON, TO TESTIFY ON BEHALF OF THE ZACK LYSTEDT BILL. YOU READY? OH YEAH IT'S A BIG DAY. BIG DAY. HUGE DAY. MONUMENTAL. ZACK AND HIS FAMILY WANT A BILL PASSED THAT SAYS AS SOON AS A KID GETS ANY HEAD INJURY IN ANY SPORT, THEY CAN NOT RETURN TO PLAY UNTIL AND UNLESS THEY ARE CLEARED BY A HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL TRAINED IN CONCUSSION TREATMENT. TWO YEARS AND 4 MONTHS AGO SOMETHING CATASTROPHIC HAPPENED TO OUR LIFE. AND IF YOU'RE A PARENT, IF YOU'RE A GRANDPARENT, YOU KNOW, ZACKERY IS OUR ONLY CHILD AND WE PUT OUR ENTIRE LIFE INTO OUR SON. WE WOULD DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO HURT OUR CHILD, WE'D DO EVERYTHING TO TRY AND PROTECT OUR CHILD. AND WHEN I WAS LAYING ON TOP OF MY CHILD BEGGING GOD TO KEEP HIM ALIVE I COULDN'T PROTECT HIM ANY LONGER. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE KNOWS WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE AND I HOPE THAT YOU NEVER EVER FEEL THAT. BECAUSE FOR 28 MONTHS I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET IT OUT OF ME AND IT CAN'T GO AWAY. KIDS SHOULDN'T GO BACK IN IF THEY HAVE A CONCUSSION, IF IT'S A SUSPECTED CONCUSSION, IF IT'S A SUSPECTED HEAD INJURY, AND YOU GUYS CAN MAKE THAT DIFFERENCE AND WE ASK FOR YOUR HELP ON THIS. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON ZACKERY. AHHH HI.

I'M ZACKERY LYSTEDT I FOR ONE HAD MY LIFE CHANGED DRASTICALLY. I HAD MY LIFE CHANGED ON OCTOBER 16TH? 12TH. OHHHH, IT CHANGED DRASTICALLY. I FLEW BACK BEHIND...

I FLEW BACK BEHIND, OH AND HIT THE BACK OF MY HEAD. AND IT, IT...

GAVE ME A CONCUSSION.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE.

OHHHH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH ZACKERY, YOU DID A WONDERFUL JOB. (APPLAUSE) I THINK THAT PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT ZACKERY'S INJURY WAS 100 PERCENT PREVENTABLE. IF THEY WOULD HAVE TAKEN HIM OUT OF THE GAME, AND NOT LET HIM GO BACK IN THAT GAME, OUR LIFE WOULD BE MOVING FORWARD IN THE DIRECTION THAT IT WAS MOVING FORWARD WHEN WE WERE AT 13 YEARS AND NINE MONTHS. NOW WE'RE AT 16 YEARS AND ONE MONTH. AND WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHERE OUR LIFE IS GONNA GO. IT'S REALLY DIFFERENT. AND, YOU KNOW, ZACKERY HAS ACCOMPLISHED SO MUCH IN THOSE TWO YEARS AND FOUR MONTHS. BUT, YOU KNOW-- WE-- ZACKERY WOULD BE DRIVING A CAR RIGHT NOW. ZACK WOULD BE GOING TO A PROM RIGHT NOW. ZACK WOULD BE GOING TO HOMECOMING. ZACK WOULD GET TO DO ALL THOSE THINGS THAT KIDS ARE DOING RIGHT NOW, ALL OF HIS FRIENDS ARE DOING. AND ZACK DOESN'T GET TO DO ANY OF THOSE THINGS. AND YOU KNOW IT'S REALLY HARD. THOSE ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT BUILDING BLOCKS OF YOUR LIFE, YOU KNOW, AND HE DOESN'T GET THOSE RIGHT NOW. I GUESS WE GOTTA BE VERY HAPPY THAT HE HAS LIFE.

AND WE SHOULD SO THANKFUL TO GOD FOR THAT. BUT THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT WE WANT FOR HIM THAT HE WILL NEVER EVER GET BACK. AND, YOU KNOW, TO KNOW THAT HIS INJURY WAS PREVENTABLE, AND TO KNOW THAT, WITH THE PROPER EDUCATION, THE PROPER TOOLS, THAT THIS WAS ALL AVOIDABLE. AND WE HAVE TO LIVE THE REPERCUSSIONS OF THOSE BAD DECISIONS. BUT THE LYSTEDTS ARE CONFIDENT THAT ZACK HAS THE STRENGTH TO FACE THE CHALLENGES OF HIS NEW LIFE. ZACKERY-- APPRECIATES LIFE MORE TODAY. TODAY HE IS SO HAPPY TO BE ALIVE. AND-- AND HE LOOKS FORWARD TO BEING ALIVE TOMORROW. AND I DON'T THINK THAT HE UNDERSTOOD WHAT THAT MEANT. OH YEAH. I-- I APPRECIATE THE LIFE I HAVE. I'M-- I COULD'VE TAKEN THE ALTERNATE ROUTE. I WOULD PROBABLY, THAT WOULD BE DEATH. YOU WENT THE DIFFERENT DIRECTION. YOU WENT THE "ZACK WAY." WE-- WE HAVE A SAYING HERE, IS-- YOU KNOW, THERE'S STRONG, THERE'S ARMY STRONG, AND THEN THERE'S ZACK STRONG. ZACH, ZACK'S, ZACK STRONG, YOU KNOW. THAT'S PRETTY STRONG.

I'VE NEVER MET ANYBODY AS STRONG AS MY SON.

OH, THANK YOU. -YOU'RE WELCOME BUBBA.

16-YEAR-OLD ZACK LYSTEDT AND HIS FATHER VICTOR...OF SEATTLE WASHINGTON...

IF YOU'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HEAD INJURIES, THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL HAS A WEBSITE WITH EXTENSIVE INFORMATION FOR COACHES, PLAYERS AND PARENTS. THE ADDRESS IS C-D-C DOT GOV...SLASH CONCUSSION IN YOUTH SPORTS. COMING UP NEXT ON OUR PROGRAM, WHAT HAPPENS TO PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYERS...LONG AFTER THEY'VE HUNG UP THEIR SPIKES. THAT'S NEXT.

MISSED AN EPISODE OF DAN RATHER REPORTS OR JUST WANT TO SEE ONE AGAIN? CHECK US OUT ON ITUNES

EVERY FALL MILLIONS OF AMERICANS CROWD AROUND TELEVISION SETS OR JAM INTO STADIUMS TO WATCH THEIR FAVORITE PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL TEAMS ....AND THE CHEERS ARE OFTEN LOUDEST WHEN THERE'S A BIG HIT. BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THESE PLAYERS YEARS AFTER THOSE CHEERS HAVE FADED AWAY? NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT A LIFE-TIME OF HARD KNOCKS CAN LEAD TO HEADACHES, MEMORY LOSS, SEVERE DEPRESSION, SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND POSSIBLY DEMENTIA. DOCTORS WHO STUDY THIS ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEIR RESEARCH IS IN ITS EARLY STAGES, BUT THEY SAY THERE'S ALREADY ENOUGH EVIDENCE THAT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE NEEDS TO WAKE UP AND ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM.

WE CAME DOWN TO TAMPA, FLORIDA IN JANUARY DURING THE WEEK BEFORE THE SUPER BOWL. THE STADIUM WAS BEING READIED, THE MEDIA HAD DESCENDED, AND THE FANS WERE TAKING IT ALL IN. ALL SIGNS POINTED TOWARDS THE BIG DAY. THE SUPER BOWL MEANS BIG MONEY - FOR THE HOST CITY - FOR THE TELEVISION NETWORKS AND FOR THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. IT'S IN NOBODY'S INTEREST TO RAIN ON THIS PARADE. BUT IN THE MIDST OF THE HYPE AND HUBBUB, A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE WERE NOT FOCUSED ON THE COMING SUNDAY. IN THE SAME HOTEL THAT HOUSED MANY MEMBERS OF THE PRESS, THEY HELD A NEWS CONFERENCE AND ALMOST NO ONE SHOWED UP. PERHAPS NO ONE WANTED TO HEAR THEIR MESSAGE. WHEN I WROTE MY RETURN TO PLAY GUIDELINES FOR FOOTBALL AND OTHER COLLISION SPORTS OVER 23 YEARS AGO, THE ESSENCE OF THOSE GUIDELINES WAS THAT THE ATHLETE BE ASYMPTOMATIC OF ALL POST CONCUSSION SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS. FIRST AT REST, AND THEN EXERTION BEFORE THEY WERE ALLOWED TO RETURN TO PLAY. DR. ROBERT CANTU IS A RENOWNED CONCUSSION EXPERT AND CHIEF OF NEUROSURGERY AT A MASSACHUSETTS HOSPITAL. SEVERAL EXPERTS TOOK THE PODIUM. THE MESSAGE: CONCUSSIONS, SO COMMON IN SPORTS LIKE FOOTBALL, CAN LEAD TO LONG-TERM DEBILITATING BRAIN DISEASE. THE PANEL WAS ORGANIZED BY THE CENTER FOR TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY WITH WHICH DR. CANTU IS ASSOCIATED. TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY-- YES SIR.--IS WHAT? THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM A CONCUSSION? OR THAT SOMETIMES IS WHAT RESULTS FROM CONCUSSIONS? IT'S WHAT CAN RESULT FROM CONCUSSIONS AS WELL AS PROBABLY CUMULATIVE SUB-CONCUSSIVE BLOWS IF THERE ARE ENOUGH OF THEM OVER A LONG ENOUGH PERIOD OF TIME. BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS ALL THE OTHER DEGENERATIVE CONDITIONS OF THE BRAIN, WHETHER IT BE ALZHEIMER'S, NIEMANN-PICK'S DISEASE, ON AND ON, ARE INHERITED AND THEY'RE NOT PREVENTABLE. TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY IS THE ONE DEGENERATIVE CONDITION OF THE BRAIN THAT IS PREVENTABLE. PREVENTABLE, DON'T GET A CONCUSSION? OR IF YOU GET A CONCUSSION, TAKE IT EASY, DON'T COME BACK TOO QUICK THAT SORTA THING. THAT'S THE THING. WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT-- IT'S NOT REALISTIC TO THINK PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA HAVE CONCUSSIONS WHETHER THEY'RE ATHLETES OR NOT. BUT THE HEAD TRAUMA MUST BE PROPERLY TAKEN CARE OF. PEOPLE MUST NOT SUBJECT THEMSELVES TO SUBSEQUENT HEAD TRAUMA, WHILE STILL SYMPTOMATIC FROM THEIR INITIAL BOUT OF HEAD TRAUMA. AND I CAN TELL YOU I'VE EXAMINED THOUSANDS OF BRAINS FROM PEOPLE IN THEIR 80S, 90S, 100S, EVEN 110 YEAR OLD. AND THIS IS NOT A NORMAL PART OF AGING. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU NORMALLY SEE IN THE BRAIN. ALSO ON THE PANEL AT SUPER BOWL WEEK IN TAMPA, DR. ANN MCKEE - A COLLEAGUE OF DR. CANTU. SHE SHARED SOME OF THE FINDINGS OF THEIR BRAIN RESEARCH AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE. AND IN A NORMAL INDIVIDUAL IF YOU STAIN FOR TAU PROTEIN YOU DON'T SEE ANYTHING. CAUSE TAU PROTEIN DOESN'T NORMALLY BUILD UP IN THE BRAIN. THE TELL-TALE SIGN OF THIS DISEASE IS SOMETHING CALLED THE TAU PROTEIN. IT SHOWS UP IN THESE RESEARCH SLIDES AS A BROWN MUCK. DOCTORS MCKEE AND CANTU HAVE STUDIED THE BRAINS OF 6 DECEASED FORMER NFL PLAYERS. THIS IS THE BRAIN OF JOHN GRIMSLEY, WHO PLAYED IN THE NFL FOR 10 YEARS AND DIED AT 45 FROM AN ACCIDENTAL GUN SHOT WOUND. 45 YEARS OLD AND EVEN WITHOUT ANY MAGNIFICATION, WITHOUT EVEN USING A MICROSCOPE YOU LOOK AT THIS SLIDE AND YOU CAN IMMEDIATELY SEE ALL THIS DENSE, BROWN DISCOLORATION, I'M SURE YOU CAN SEE IT FROM THE BACK OF THE ROOM. THIS IS EXTRAORDINARILY ABNORMAL. AND IT WASN'T JUST GRIMSLEY. FIVE OTHER EX-NFL PLAYERS HAD TRAGIC ENDS TO THEIR LIVES AFTER SUFFERING IN THEIR FINAL YEARS: HARD-HITTING DEFENDER ANDRE WATERS COMMITTED SUICIDE AT AGE 44. "IRON MIKE" WEBSTER DIED AT AGE 50, AFTER BEING SEVERELY DEPRESSED, LIVING OUT OF HIS PICK-UP TRUCK EVEN THOUGH FORMER TEAMMATES OFFERED TO PAY FOR AN APARTMENT. OFFENSIVE LINEMAN TERRY LONG DRANK ANTI-FREEZE TO KILL HIMSELF. HE WAS 45. OFFENSIVE LINEMAN JUSTIN STRZELCZYK COMPLAINED OF DEPRESSION AND SAID HE HEARD VOICES BEFORE HE CRASHED HIS CAR IN A POLICE CHASE AT AGE 36. AND 45 YEAR OLD OFFENSIVE LINEMAN TOM MCHALE TURNED TO DRUGS FOR HIS DEPRESSION AND THEN DIED OF AN OVERDOSE. RESEARCHERS SUSPECT WHAT ALL THESE PLAYERS WERE REALLY DEALING WITH WAS CTE, CHRONIC TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY, AND THAT'S JUST WHAT THEY FOUND IN THEIR BRAINS. TO SOMEONE WHO SAYS, FOR EXAMPLE-- "WITH ALL RESPECT, YOU'VE ONLY STUDIED-- A HANDFUL OF BRAINS. IS THAT REALLY ENOUGH?" DAN, MY POSITION ON THAT IS I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH ALL SIX NFL PLAYERS THAT HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY. BEEN INVOLVED WITH BENOIT THE-- THE WRESTLER WITH TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY. AND A COUPLE OF BOXING BRAINS. SO WE'VE HAD AN EXPERIENCE-- THAT IS UNDER TEN. BUT IN THE WORLD'S LITERATURE, THERE ARE ALREADY 46 OTHER CASES OF TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY PROVEN NEURO-PATHOLOGICALLY. MOST OF THEM IN BOXERS, BUT OTHER PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES FROM RUGBY, JOCKEYS... THE ENTITY EXISTS. THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY CONNECTS THE DOTS BETWEEN MULTIPLE TRAUMA AND TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY. THAT'S WHAT SCIENTISTS DO, CONNECT THE DOTS? YES, SIR, WE TRY. RIGHT. AND THAT'S THE HEART OF DR. CANTU'S THEORY. THAT REPEATED CONCUSSIONS OVER THE COURSE OF AN NFL CAREER CAN DEBILITATE ONCE-VIBRANT YOUNG ATHLETES. NO DOCTORS OR TRAINERS FOR MY TEAM EVER TOLD ME THAT THIS COULD BE AN ISSUE OR EDUCATED ME ON THAT. ALSO IN TAMPA WAS TED JOHNSON. HE'D BEEN TO THE SUPER BOWL BEFORE - 4 TIMES WITH THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS. BUT HE CAME THIS YEAR FOR A DIFFERENT REASON - TO TELL HIS STORY. THE FIRST DAY AT TRAINING CAMP IN `03, THE FIRST HIT I HAD, I GOT ANOTHER CONCUSSION. NOW, FAST FORWARD TO `04 TRAINING CAMP, THE FIRST PRACTICE IN TRAINING CAMP OF `04, FIRST HIT, I GOT ANOTHER CONCUSSION. JOHNSON RETIRED IN 2005. HE THINKS HE CAN MEASURE HIS CONCUSSIONS IN THE DOZENS. HERE'S THE THING, PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND. CONCUSSION DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE COMPLETELY KNOCKED OUT, UNCONSCIOUS -- FOR ME, IT WAS YOU KNOW, MY EQUILIBRIUM WAS OFF, MY BALANCE, MY VISION WAS BLURRED, EVERYTHING SLOWED DOWN AND IT WOULD TAKE TIME FOR ME TO GET REVVED BACK UP INTO A NORMAL STATE. THERE WERE TIMES WHERE I'D BE IN THE HUDDLE AND I COULDN'T SEE THE SIGNAL CALLER AND I WOULD JUST BE SITTING THERE IN THE HUDDLE GOING, "I JUST HOPE MY VISION COMES BACK BEFORE THE START OF THE NEXT PLAY." AFTER RETIRING, JOHNSON WAS DEPRESSED, ADDICTED TO PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, AND HIS MARRIAGE BROKE UP. AND I JUST KNEW THAT I WAS DOING SOMETHING WRONG BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS. IT WASN'T UNTIL I MET CHRIS ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AFTER I RETIRED, THAT THERE WAS AN ACTUAL NAME TO WHAT I WAS DEALING WITH. CHRIS IS CHRIS NOWINSKI. HE KNOWS WHAT JOHNSON IS TALKING ABOUT. THAT'S HIM, #58, LEFT DEFENSIVE TACKLE FOR HARVARD UNIVERSITY. NOWINKI! IN IN A HURRY...LOOKING BACK, HE NOW REALIZES HE SUSTAINED A NUMBER OF UNDIAGNOSED CONCUSSIONS DURING HIS FOOTBALL YEARS. AND IT DIDN'T END THERE. AFTER COLLEGE HE MADE A CAREER MOVE NOT TYPICAL OF MOST HARVARD GRADS. UP AND OVER GOES HARVARD. OHHH!!! BUT AFTER ONE KICK TO THE HEAD, HIS LIFE CHANGED. IMMEDIATELY I HAD HEADACHES NEARLY EVERYDAY, THOSE ENDED UP LASTING 5 YEARS. I HAD MEMORY PROBLEMS. I COULDN'T GO BACK TO A JOB FOR TWO YEARS. YOU KNOW-- DEPRESSION ISSUES. I-- I WOULD WAKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND HURT MYSELF. I MEAN, IT WAS-- IT WAS PRETTY DAMAGING. AND AS I LEARNED MORE ABOUT THE SUBJECT I FOUND OUT THAT I HAD BEEN SUFFERING CONCUSSIONS MY WHOLE FOOTBALL AND PRO WRESTLING CAREER. I JUST DIDN'T REALIZE THEY WERE CONCUSSIONS. I CALLED THEM DINGS. I CALLED THEM BELL RINGERS. AND I JUST STAYED IN THE GAME. WELL, IS IT YOUR CONTENTION THIS IS-- WE-- A BIGGER PROBLEM OR A MUCH GREATER PROBLEM THAN MOST PEOPLE REALIZE? IT'S CERTAINLY A MUCH GREATER PROBLEM THAN MOST PEOPLE REALIZE. I MEAN, WE'VE NEVER THOUGHT, UNTIL MAYBE THE LAST YEAR OR TWO, THAT CONCUSSIONS HAVE ANY LONG-TERM PROBLEMS. AND WE THOUGHT THEY WERE COMPLETELY BENIGN. ONCE THE SYMPTOMS WENT AWAY, YOU WERE FINE. SO IF YOU SURVIVE A CONCUSSION, YOU'RE GONNA BE ALL RIGHT. RIGHT. I MEAN, YOU STILL HEAR IT IN THE MEDIA, WHEN A FOOTBALL PLAYER GETS KNOCKED OUT AND HE GETS UP AND THE COMMENTATORS SAY, "OH, HE'S GONNA BE FINE. HE'S GONNA BE FINE." WELL, HE'S GONNA BE FINE, IN THE SHORT-TERM, BUT IN THE LONG-TERM, IN SOME OF THESE ATHLETES, THAT CONCUSSION OR WE-- WE BELIEVE THAT CONCUSSION, AND CERTAINLY THE TRAUMA THEY'RE SUFFERING WHILE THEY'RE PLAYING IS LEADING TO THIS LONG-TERM, FIVE, TEN, 20 YEARS LATER, THEIR BRAIN IS FALLING APART. YOU'RE IN THAT HIGH-RISK CATEGORY, BECAUSE YOU HAD CONCUSSIONS WHEN YOU PLAYED COLLEGE FOOTBALL. RIGHT. AND YOU MADE THE DECISION, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, TO GO INTO WRESTLING, PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING. RIGHT. YOU WORRIED? I'M CERTAINLY WORRIED. I MEAN, I HAD-- YOU KNOW, I-- I BANGED MY HEAD FOR 11 YEARS. AND-- I GOT A LOT OF CONCUSSIONS. I GOT A LOT OF HITS. AND I CERTAINLY SUFFERED ENOUGH DAMAGE TO HAVE TO RETIRE AT 24 YEARS OLD AND TO HAVE SYMPTOMS FOR 5 YEARS. SO I AM CERTAINLY WORRIED WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO ME IN FIVE OR TEN YEARS. I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE GONNA FIND OUT THAT THERE'S SOME SUBSET OF-- OF ATHLETES WHO HAVE-- ARE GENETICALLY PREDISPOSED OR, FOR SOME OTHER REASON, ARE GONNA GET THIS, WHERE OTHER GUYS WON'T. I-- YOU KNOW, BASICALLY LIVING FINGERS CROSSED THAT I'M IN THAT GROUP THAT PROBABLY WON'T END UP GETTING THIS. BUT I CERTAINLY HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE IDEA THAT-- THAT MAYBE IN A FEW YEARS, I MAY START SLIPPING AND I START NOTICING THAT I'M CHANGING TOO.

IT TOOK NOWINSKI YEARS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. AND NOW THAT HE KNOWS CONCUSSIONS ARE TO BLAME, HE'S PASSIONATE ABOUT GETTING THE WORD OUT. HE WROTE A BOOK CALLED "HEAD GAMES" ABOUT THE DANGERS OF CONCUSSIONS. AND HE JOINED DR. CANTU TO FOUND THE SPORTS LEGACY INSTITUTE - THAT'S AN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO RESEARCHING THE EFFECTS OF SPORTS RELATED CONCUSSIONS.

THE INSTITUTE SENDS ATHLETES BRAINS TO THIS LAB AT THE VETERANS AFFAIRS HOSPITAL IN BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS. SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THESE AREAS, THE REAL EXTREME CHANGES WE SEE AT THE DEPTHS OF THE SULKIS. HERE, DR. ANNE MCKEE LOOKS AT TISSUE SAMPLES UNDER A MICROSCOPE TO FIND SIGNS OF CTE. IN A NORMAL INDIVIDUAL, YOU SHOULD SEE NONE OF THIS BROWN DISCOLORATION. SO EVERY TIME YOU SEE IT, IT'S VERY ABNORMAL.

IT'S NOT LIKE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, IT'S NOT LIKE ANY OTHER NEURO-DEGENERATION THAT IS CHARACTERIZED BY A BUILD UP OF TAU. IT'S VERY DISTINCTIVE WITH WHAT WE SEE FOR REPETITIVE HEAD TRAUMA. AND IT CAN'T BE MISTAKEN FOR ANYTHING ELSE. BUT LINKING THIS DISEASE TO CONCUSSIONS IS CONTROVERSIAL. CRITICS SAY THE SAMPLE SIZE OF ONLY A FEW ATHLETES IS, WHAT THEY CALL, WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT TO PROVE CAUSE AND EFFECT. THE NFL, FOR ITS PART, ISSUED THIS STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO OUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LEAGUE'S APPROACH TO CONCUSSIONS:

WELL, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE NFL. WHAT'S THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARD THESE CONCUSSION DISCUSSIONS? THEY CONSISTENTLY NOW SAY THERE JUST NEEDS TO BE MORE RESEARCH. THEY DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ENOUGH TO PROVE A CONNECTION. WELL, IS THAT A VALID ARGUMENT OR NOT? IT DEPENDS. I CERTAINLY THINK THERE'S ENOUGH TO START MAKING DRASTIC POLICY CHANGES, AND THERE'S ENOUGH TO START TELLING ATHLETES THAT THERE IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN TRAUMA AND CTE -- AND CHRONIC TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY. TO SAY THAT THERE'S NO CONNECTION BETWEEN TAKING THOUSANDS OF HITS TO THE HEAD AND SUFFERING MULTIPLE CONCUSSIONS AND CHRONIC TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY IS WRONG. WELL, YOU'RE NOT SAYING, OR ARE YOU, THAT THIS CAN BE PUT IN THE GENERAL CATEGORY, OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH TOBACCO AND ASBESTOS, WHICH IS TO SAY, IN THE BEGINNING, THE TOBACCO COMPANIES SAID, "WELL, WE'RE STUDYING THIS, AND YES, THERE ARE STUDIES BUT THEY'RE NOT CONCLUSIVE." WELL, YOU KNOW, I HAD ACTUALLY DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ON HOW BIG TOBACCO REACTED TO THE FIRST INITIAL INFORMATION, THE FIRST TIME WHEN THEY ACTUALLY LOOKED AT LUNGS, AND SAW THE SMOKERS GOT LUNG CANCER, AND THE NON-SMOKERS DIDN'T. I'VE BEEN AMAZED AT THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN HOW BIG TOBACCO REACTED TO THAT INFORMATION, AND HOW THE NFL IS REACTING TO THE INFORMATION WE ARE PRODUCING. LOOKING AT TISSUE JUST LIKE THEY DID WITH LUNG CANCER AND FINDING THAT THOSE WHO SUFFERED THOUSANDS OF HITS TO THE HEAD GET THIS DISEASE. AND PEOPLE WHO DO NOT SUFFER HEAD TRAUMA, DON'T GET THIS DISEASE. YOU'RE AWARE, YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE, THAT THE LEADERSHIP OF THE NFL IS GOING TO, AT LEAST, METAPHORICALLY, TURN A BACK FLIP WHEN THEY HEAR YOU TALKING ABOUT SIMILARITIES WITH THIS PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE, AS YOU SEE IT, CONCUSSIONS, AND TOBACCO AND ASBESTOS. THEY'RE GONNA SAY, "LISTEN, THIS IS OVERBOARD, UNFAIR. THIS IS TOO MUCH." THEY'RE GONNA SAY ALL THOSE THINGS. LET 'EM SAY THOSE THINGS. THE FACTS ARE THE FACTS. YOU WILL NOT FIND A NEUROPATHOLOGIST, THE ONLY PERSON TRAINED TO STUDY THIS WHO WILL DISPUTE THAT TRAUMA CAUSES THIS DISEASE. SO, THE NFL'S BEING-- DISINGENUOUS IN SAYING THAT TRAUMA DOES NOT CAUSE CTE. WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO BE CUTE ABOUT IS SAYING THE NFL DOESN'T CAUSE IT. AND WHEN YOU SAY THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE STUDY, YOU CAN SAY THAT TILL THE COWS COME HOME. BUT THE FACT IS, AT SOME POINT, YOU GOT TO DRAW A LINE IN THE SAND AND SAY, "THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. THIS IS A GAME THAT THE NFL PROMOTES TO KIDS, AND WE NEED TO START DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT." AND AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE IN TAMPA, CHRIS AND THE RESEARCHERS PRESENTED A STARTLING DISCOVERY. WE ARE ALSO REVEALING EARLY EVIDENCE OF CTE IN THE YOUNGEST CASE EVER FOUND, AN 18 YEAR OLD MULTI-SPORT ATHLETE WHO HAD DIAGNOSED CONCUSSIONS PLAYING HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL. DR. ANN MCKEE EXPLAINED. AND HERE WE HAVE THE BRAIN OF AN 18 YEAR OLD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, PLAYED HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS, HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL. AND HIS BRAIN SHOULD BE PRISTINE. AND IT IS FOR THE MOST PART A BEAUTIFUL BRAIN. BUT EVEN SO LOOKING VERY CLOSELY YOU CAN FIND SOME SPOTS SOME FOCI OF ABNORMALITY. THIS IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD- NEVER SHOULD SEE IN AN 18 YEAR OLD BRAIN. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S HIGHLY ALARMING. THAT'S RIGHT. AN EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD ATHLETE WHO ADMITTEDLY DIED OF OTHER CAUSES, BUT HE DIED WITH THE EARLY SIGNS OF BRAIN DISEASE. -- WHICH COMPLETELY SHOCKED OUR DOCTORS AND COMPLETELY SHOCKED US. I MEAN, THE IDEA IS IF THIS IS A PROGRESSIVE DISEASE. CERTAINLY IT STARTS AT SOME POINT IN SOMEONE'S LIFE, BUT THE PROOF THAT IT STARTS IN AN 18-YEAR-OLD MEANS THAT THE FOCUS NEEDS TO BE ON THE EXPOSURE TO CONCUSSIONS AND-- AND HITS TO THE HEAD THAT KIDS ARE GETTING. I MEAN, TO BE HONEST, EVERY NFL PLAYER WHO'S DEVELOPED CTE, COULD VERY WELL HAVE HAD THAT START, AS A KID. BECAUSE TO REACH THAT LEVEL, THEY PROBABLY STARTED PLAYING FOOTBALL FAIRLY EARLY. RIGHT. I MEAN, EVERYBODY STARTS-- IF YOU'RE PLAYING IN THE NFL, YOU ALMOST CERTAINLY PLAYED IN HIGH SCHOOL AND YOU PROBABLY PLAYED BEFORE THAT. SO, THAT MAY BE WHERE-- THAT MAY BE WHERE THE DISEASE STARTS FOR EVERYBODY. WE DON'T KNOW. WE NEED MORE CASES. BUT IF THAT IS THE CASE, THAN ALL THIS TALK AND ALL THIS ATTENTION ON WHAT THE NFL'S DOING TO THESE 20-SOMETHING-YEAR-OLD GUYS IS REALLY NOT THE ISSUE. THE ISSUE IS WHAT ARE WE DOING FOR THOSE MILLION AND A HALF KIDS PLAYING FOOTBALL, AND THE MILLIONS OF OTHER KIDS PLAYING EVERY OTHER SPORT, WHERE THEY GET HIT IN THE HEAD. WHAT ARE WE DOING TO PROTECT THEM FROM STARTING TO GET THIS DISEASE, WHEN THEY'RE JUST A TEENAGER. WHERE EXPOSING A MILLION AND A HALF KIDS, 1 OUT OF 8 BOYS PLAYS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL. WE'RE EXPOSING THEM TO EARLY BRAIN DAMAGE THAT WILL DERAIL THEM IN THEIR 30'S AND 40'S AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO PREVENT IT, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHICH ONES ARE GOING TO GET IT SO WE NEED TO STOP AND LOOK AT THIS BECAUSE IT'S A REAL ISSUE. BECAUSE NO ONE SENDS THEIR KID OUT TO PLAY FOOTBALL SO THEIR LIFE WILL UNRAVEL.HEY, IT'S 9:42 IN THE MORNING AND WE GOTTA HUSTLE UP AND TAKE THIS BREAK. AND LET'S GET IN A LITTLE HAMMER TIME AND THEN WE'RE COMING RIGHT BACK TO RADIO ROW. IT'S SCOTT ----IN TAMPA. CHRIS MADE THE ROUNDS AT WHAT'S KNOWN AS RADIO ROW AT THE SUPER BOWL. SPORTS TALK SHOW HOSTS USED TO MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACKING GOT A SCIENCE LESSON. LIKE DEMENTIA AND LIKE DEPRESSION AND MAY CAUSE THIS PROBLEM SHORT TERM WITH POST CONCUSSION SYNDROME...BUT CHRIS ALSO HAD ANOTHER GOAL ...GENTLEMEN, GREAT JOB. THANKS FOR COMING ON. ALL THE BEST. I KNOW YOU GOT A BUSY DAY HERE AT THE SUPER BOWL. GETTING MORE BRAINS FOR RESEARCH. APPRECIATE IT. ALL THE BEST. TED, GOOD MEETIN' YOU, MAN. HE TOOK ALONG EX-NFL PLAYER TED JOHNSON WHO HAD ALREADY AGREED TO GIVE HIS BRAIN TO SCIENCE. PEOPLE LOVE TO DONATE THEIR BRAIN. HEH HEH HEH... SO WE WORK WITH BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THESE SIX NFL BRAINS OF GUYS WHO'VE PASSED AWAY BUT WHEN THEY DIE, FOR US TO ACTUALLY GET THEIR BRAIN ANALYZED I HAVE TO CALL THEIR WIDOW, I HAVE TO CALL THEIR PARENTS AND SAY WITHIN LIKE 48 HOURS AND SAY, "YEAH I KNOW THIS IS THE WORST DAY OF YOUR LIFE, BUT CAN YOU THINK ABOUT MAYBE HELPING TO DO SOME RESEARCH?" AND THAT CALL IS SO HARD THAT WE DECIDED A MUCH SMARTER WAY TO DO THIS WOULD BE TO GET GUYS TO SIGN UP WHEN THEY'RE STILL ALIVE AND IT IS ALSO HELPING US SHOW PEOPLE THAT A LOT OF GUYS CARE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. YOU KNOW, WE STARTED WITH TED WAS THE FIRST GUY, NOW WE HAVE TWENTY EX-NFL GUYS; WE ANNOUNCED EX-HALL-OF-FAMER, JOE DELAMIELLEURE YESTERDAY, EX-HALL-OF-FAMER, WILLY WOOD SO WE HAVE SOME REALLY BIG NAMES JOINING THE REGISTRY AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR THE RESEARCH NOW. BILLY RAY, WOULD YOU DONATE YOUR BRAIN? I WILL THROW MY LITTLE NAME IN WITH ALL THOSE BIG NAMES. REALLY? ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. ANYTHING THAT HELPS, GUYS. I DON'T BELIEVE IT. THANK YOU. WHEN THEY GO TO HARVEST IT, THEY MIGHT NOT FIND MUCH, I GOTTA BE HONEST WITH YOU... BILLY RAY SMITH PLAYED 10 YEARS AS A LINEBACKER FOR THE SAN DIEGO CHARGERS. AND THAT MAKES HIM PERFECT FOR CHRIS' CAUSE. ALSO THE PROBLEM IS THE BIG HITS ARE WHAT SELLS TICKETS AND WHAT GETS YOUR HIGHLIGHT ON SPORTS CENTER, WHETHER YOU'RE SIX YEARS OLD OR THIRTY SIX YEARS OLD, I MEAN THAT'S- EVERYBODY'S LEADING WITH THEIR HEAD NOW. BACK IN THE OLD DAYS, I MEAN WHEN IT WAS JUST A SHELL LIKE MY DAD USED TO PLAY IN, AND THE LITTLE ROPES AND THE LITTLE RUBBER PADS, I MEAN THE HELMETS WERE RIDICULOUS, THEY WERE A JOKE, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T USE THEIR HEAD, THEY HAD ENOUGH SENSE NOT TO LEAD WITH THEIR HEAD WHEN THEY WERE RUNNING INTO A 300 POUND GUY! THIS CHANGE IN THE WAY FOOTBALL IS PLAYED CAN BE FOUND ON SPORTS FIELDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WHERE KIDS INEVITABLY EMULATE THEIR NFL ROLE MODELS. HERE WE GO! DOWN! SET! HUT!

BUT WHILE THEY MAY HAVE DREAMS OF STARDOM, NONE OF THESE YOUNGSTERS EVER DREAM THEY WILL END UP LIKE THIS.

YOU GOTTA TIP IT UP A LITTLE MORE. OK. GOT IT? LET'S GET THIS...SEEING HIM TODAY, YOU WOULD NEVER GUESS THAT RALPH WENZEL USED TO BE A STAR FOOTBALL PLAYER. YEAH? HELLO. HOW ARE YOU? HE'S 65 YEARS OLD NOW, AND HE'S FAR DIFFERENT FROM THE MAN HIS WIFE ELEANOR PERFETTO MET ALMOST THIRTY YEARS AGO. OOH, YOUR HAND IS COLD! RALPH IS THE LAID-BACK CALIFORNIA DUDE. YOU KNOW, NOTHING BOTHERED HIM, GO WITH THE FLOW-- ALWAYS RELAXED, ALWAYS HAPPY AND WE HAD A LOT OF COMMON INTERESTS. WE BOTH LOVED FOOD AND COOKING AND WINE AND WE LOVED TO TRAVEL. WENZEL PLAYED SEVEN NFL SEASONS FROM THE LATE 1960'S TO THE EARLY 70'S. HE AND ELEANOR WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO GROWING OLD TOGETHER BUT THEY STARTED TO NOTICE PROBLEMS. LOSING THINGS. I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES HE LOST HIS CHECKBOOK. AND SO HE STOPPED-- HE STOPPED HAVING A CHECKBOOK. WORRIED, ELEANOR TOOK HIM TO A NEUROLOGIST WHO ASKED IF WENZEL EVER HAD A CONCUSSION AS A PLAYER AND-- AND RALPH'S RESPONSE TO, "HAVE YOU EVER HAD A CONCUSSION?" WAS, "MORE THAN I COULD COUNT." AND HE SAID, "HOW-- WELL, YOU-- YOU WERE EVER OUT-- LIKE, OUT COLD?" AND HE SAID, "OH, YES." HE SAID, "I-- I DO REMEMBER-- AT LEAST ONE TIME WHEN I WAS KNOCKED OUT. I WAS OUT FOR A LITTLE WHILE, CAME TO, GOT BACK IN THE GAME AND CONTINUED TO PLAY AND WAS RUNNING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION ON THE FIELD." AND THAT WAS WHEN HE WAS TAKEN OFF THE FIELD BECAUSE HE WAS THAT DISORIENTED. DOCTORS TOLD ELEANOR THEY BELIEVED A LIFETIME OF HITS TO THE HEAD LED TO THE WAY RALPH IS NOW. NUMBER 62. WHO WAS NUMBER 62?

YOU WERE NUMBER 62. THAT'S YOU. RALPH ISN'T REALLY ABLE TO SPEAK IN SENTENCES ANYMORE. I MEAN, HE-- HE VERBALIZES AND SOUND COMES OUT. BUT, IT'S KIND OF NONSENSE WORDS. EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE YOU CATCH A WORD THAT-- THAT ACTUALLY IS A WORD. BUT MOST OF THE TIME IT'S VERY DIFFICULT.

I CAME TO CALIFORNIA AND I BROUGHT WITH ME TWO PEOPLE. I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T REMEMBER A TIME WHEN WE DID THAT. WHAT DID WE DO THERE? YOU'RE LEFT JUST SMILING AND NODDING AND YOU RESPOND TO HIS GESTURES. AND IF HE STARTS LAUGHING, THEN YOU START LAUGHING. WITH RALPH UNABLE TO SPEAK FOR HIMSELF PERFETTO HAS TRIED TO BE HIS VOICE. WHEN THE LEAGUE HELD A MEETING ABOUT LATER-LIFE CARE FOR RETIRED PLAYERS IN DECEMBER, PERFETTO REQUESTED THAT SHE BE ABLE TO ATTEND ON HER HUSBAND'S BEHALF. SHE WAS TOLD SHE WAS NOT WELCOME, BUT SHE WENT TO THE MEETING ANYWAY TO TELL OTHER FORMER PLAYERS WHAT A LIFETIME OF CONCUSSIONS DID TO HER HUSBAND. AND-- AND I WAS TURNED AWAY. THE COMMISSIONER SAID NO-- THAT THE PLAYERS HAD REQUESTED THAT-- THESE MEETINGS BE HELD FOR JUST PLAYERS. ELEANOR SAYS SHE KNOWS THERE'S A BELIEF THAT THE LEAGUE DOESN'T WANT TO CONFRONT THESE INJURIES BECAUSE OF WORRIES OVER FINANCIAL LIABILITY, BUT SHE SAYS SHE'S MOTIVATED BY A DRIVE TO HELP OTHERS. I'VE TALKED TO WIVES WHO DON'T WANT ANYONE TO KNOW THIS IS HAPPENING TO THEIR HUSBAND. THEY STILL FEEL LIKE IT'S-- AN EMBARRASSMENT FOR THEM. THEY'RE NOT GETTING THE EDUCATION THAT THEY MIGHT NEED TO-- TO HELP THEM GET THROUGH THIS. AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S A PLACE WHERE THE LEAGUE COULD BE HELPING MORE. PERFETTO BELIEVES HER HUSBAND MAY SUFFER FROM THE SAME BRAIN CONDITION FOUND IN THE SIX EX-NFL PLAYERS WE TOLD YOU ABOUT EARLIER. SHE SAYS THAT WHILE THE LEAGUE MAY NOT BE TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY, SHE PLANS TO DONATE HIS BRAIN TO SCIENCE. SHE KNOWS IT'S WHAT RALPH WOULD WANT.

WHEN WE RETURN, SOME FINAL THOUGHTS ON TONIGHT'S REPORT. SO STAY HERE WITH US.

WELCOME BACK, WE KNOW THAT FOR ANY PARENT OR GRANDPARENT WITH CHILDREN IN SPORTS, A REPORT LIKE THIS ONE TONIGHT CAN BE QUITE SOBERING. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE, THOUGH, THAT EVERY EXPERT WE SPOKE WITH SAID THEY ARE NOT SUGGESTING THAT BOYS AND GIRLS AVOID SPORTS. THE LIFE LESSONS LEARNED FROM TAKING THE FIELD, COURT OR ICE ARE INVALUABLE. THE DOCTORS' MESSAGE IS SIMPLY THAT CONCUSSIONS AND HITS TO THE HEAD GENERALLY, NEED TO BE TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY, AND DEALT WITH RIGHT AWAY... THE ATTITUDE CAN'T BE--JUST GET BACK IN THE GAME. WELL THAT'S OUR PROGRAM FOR TONIGHT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU NEXT WEEK. FOR HDNET, FROM NEW YORK, DAN RATHER REPORTING, GOODNIGHT.