Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
NFL Stands By Public Acknowledgment Of Link Between Football, Brain Disorders
The Washington Post: NFL Stands By Safety Official’s Acknowledgement Of CTE Link To Football
The NFL is standing by the acknowledgement on Capitol Hill by its top player safety official of a link between football and degenerative brain disease. “The comments made by Jeff Miller yesterday accurately reflect the view of the NFL,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a written statement provided Tuesday to The Washington Post. Miller, the NFL’s senior vice president for health and safety policy, was asked during a round-table discussion Monday by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) whether there is a link between football and degenerative brain disorders such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. Miller said that “the answer to that is certainly, yes.”
NPR: In A First, NFL Executive Admits Football Is Linked To Brain Damage
A discussion on Capitol Hill about concussion research brought a startling moment Monday, as an NFL executive acknowledged for the first time that football has been linked to a degenerative brain disease. Jeff Miller, the NFL's executive vice president for health and safety, admitted the connection when he was asked about research by Boston University neuropathologist Dr. Ann McKee, who has reported finding signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in the brains of 90 out of 94 former pro football players — and 45 out of 55 former college players. (Chappell, 3/15)
NPR: NFL Acknowledges Link Between Playing Football And CTE
NPR's Robert Siegel interviews Rep. Jan Schakowsky about the NFL acknowledging the links between football and CTE, a degenerative brain disease found in people who have suffered severe blows to the head. (3/15)
