Football and Concussions
Highlights From Issues and Ales: Concussions and the Price of Playing Football
In Alabama, football is a way of life. But after recent revelations about the dangers of football-related head injuries, players and parents are reconsidering their involvement. How are health concerns changing who plays football? How does it change the culture around football, and what will it mean for the future of the sport? Hear highlights from our Issues and Ales panel discussion, Issues and Ales: Concussions and the Price of Playing Football.
Former Football Players Discuss Rule Changes and Concussions
At WBHM’s Issues and Ales: Concussions and the Price of Playing Football, Bobby Humphrey, former running back for the University of Alabama, the Denver Broncos, and the Miami Dolphins; and Reginald Greene, former offensive tackle for North Alabama and Florence, answers some audience questions that the panelists didn’t get to address in the discussion. Humphrey addressed how […]
Former UAB Quarterback Talks Concussions
At WBHM's Issues and Ales: Concussions and the Price of Playing Football, former UAB quarterback and NFL veteran Kevin Drake answered some audience questions that the panelists didn't get to address in the discussion. Drake is the program director for the Wise Up Initiative, and he says one of the biggest problems with concussions is that too many go under the radar.
See Photos From Issues and Ales: Concussions and the Price of Playing Football
On Thursday, WBHM gathered a panel of doctors, former football players and concussion experts at Workplay for the annual Issues and Ales. Andrew Yeager led the panel and opened up the end of each session for audience questions. You can listen to the discussion on the air on Wednesday, July 29 at 2 p.m. […]
Parents Look to Headgear to Protect Soccer Players from Concussions
Football players suffer the highest concussion rates among athletes. But players of the "other football," soccer, also experience a notable number of concussions. It’s a sport where most players don't wear protective headgear. But that’s changing as parents look for ways to protect their kids.
In Football Country, Concussions Spark A Parental Dilemma
More and more people are learning about the risks contact sports pose to the brain. So even here in football-loving Alabama, parents and young athletes are wrestling with a serious dilemma, one that could affect them decades later: to play or not to play. To help parents facing that decision, WBHM’s Dan Carsen got some […]
UAB Research Lab Hopes To Define Concussion Biomarkers
There’s been a spike in children under 19 visiting the emergency room with concussions. ERs saw a more than 50 percent increase between 2001 and 2009. Doctors say this could actually be a good thing, resulting in part from improved awareness of what a concussion is. But, perhaps surprisingly, there’s still a lot we don’t know about concussions, like how long they last or what all the long term effects are. A group of doctors at the University of Alabama at Birmingham who aim to change this.
New Technology Aims To Measure Concussion Risk In Athletes
Concussions can occur from head injuries while playing any sport where a player receives a blow to the head. And for years, hearing the crack of two helmets colliding or seeing a player crash to the ground headfirst, was the only way to determine if a player might have suffered a concussion. But that’s changing.
As Concussion Awareness Rises, Football Focuses on Safety
Summer is winding down, and for many student athletes, that means one thing: football. Practices are starting across the country. And now more than ever, there’s a focus on safety…especially preventing head injury and concussions. All this week, WBHM explores what this means for football in our state, and highlights homegrown research and scientific developments that could change the game forever.
