As the father of two former NFL players, if I had to make a decision today—knowing what I now know about CTE—my boys might have never strapped on a helmet.
“Sobering.”
That was my immediate response to a question posed by Chris Nowinski, Founder and CEO of the Concussion & CTE Foundation (C&CF), at the conclusion of C&CF’s first annual Global CTE Summit held in San Francisco in early February. Presenters included doctors, researchers, former NFL players, a former Surgeon General of the United States and a California Assemblymember. Chris’s question, “What did you think?”
I walked into the day-long event having already written Part 1 of “Would the Decision Be Different Today?” I walked away more convinced than ever that alarm bells should be ringing loudly for parents who are at the precipice of allowing their sons to play youth tackle football or soccer, or their daughters to play soccer. For purposes of this blog, let’s define “youth” as pre-high school.
For that matter, the same concern extends to other sports, like rugby, ice hockey, lacrosse and boxing. Any sport where the brain being jostled is part of the game. But for this piece, since the gridiron is so near and dear to my heart, and because I’m the father of two former NFL players, football will be my focus.
It would be easy to nerd out and turn this blog into a scientific paper full of statistics, charts, footnotes and the like, but I will resist that temptation. However, some data, I believe, is necessary to accentuate my points.
So let’s begin here: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is for real. It is NOT a “hypothetical disease” as voiced by an NCAA attorney in court proceedings attempting to discount the validity of CTE. I would challenge anyone with such false narratives to speak directly to a member of the C&CF Legacy Family Community and hear their stories of the trauma experienced by the sufferer and their family. While there are still so many more questions than answers, and while the Summit input would suggest that some answers may be near, CTE can’t, and SHOULDN’T, be ignored.
What Are the Chances?
If we only had hard statistics. But today most of what’s known is anecdotal, qualitative. One day—hopefully soon—current research will provide quantifiable, scientific and reliable statistics connecting participation in contact sports with the likelihood of developing CTE. This being the case, I’m in no position to suggest that football should be abolished. But what I am comfortable offering with what I do know is that the probability of onset is much greater than what is generally believed. The available information bears that out.
Here’s a perfect example. A study of brains of deceased former NFL players . . . currently CTE is undiagnosable in those living . . . was published in February of 2026 in the Journal of Neurotrauma(1), attempting to evaluate the connection between CTE and the first age of football involvement. No surprise to me that 69.6% of 677 brains studied had some level of CTE. There are four stages of CTE. Of the 471 positively diagnosed, almost 69% suffered from the most severe stages, III and IV.
Now, to be honest, these studies come with a selection bias. What does that mean? A clinical definition, to paraphrase, includes “A distortion in findings, meaning the study group does not accurately reflect the target population.” In layperson’s terms, it simply means that those studied post-mortem were predisposed to be found with CTE because they experienced, while alive, symptoms of brain trauma, personality changes and mental challenges and agreed to have their brains examined after their deaths.
Nonetheless, if you as a parent of an aspiring football player were told that there could be a seven in ten chance . . . per the above statistics . . . that your youngster would be subject to such a debilitating, life threatening disease, would you take the risk and allow them to play youth tackle football? I wouldn’t. Hopefully you would think long and hard before saying yes. Admittedly, these numbers are skewed but they do provide a clear trend.
The Wrong Focus
Let’s consider a parallel. In the early 1970s, 42-43% of Americans smoked cigarettes. Today, after Food and Drug Administration (FDA) involvement educated the public that smoking leads to life-threatening cancer, that percentage has cratered to 11% as of 2024, even though the cigarette industry possessed/ possesses enormous political and monetary clout. There has been a broad societal push to reduce illness and deaths.
I simply do not see there being a similar broad-based urgency for CTE education. In 2023, total NFL revenues exceeded $23 billion. What motivation does the NFL have to disrupt the gravy train by raising alarms regarding CTE? They have attempted to reduce concussions with rule and equipment changes. Some have worked. But others?
Guardian Caps that fit over helmets have been promoted as concussion reducers. Studies have shown they offer little to no protection.(2) And for the 2025 NFL season, rule changes were employed on kickoffs, intending to reduce concussive hits. Instead, with the number of returns spiking from ~33% to more than 74%, the number of concussions jumped from eight in 2024 to 35 this past season. A greater than fourfold increase. These efforts were simply window dressing. Back to the drawing board.
The problem here in my opinion is that the NFL is focused on preventing the “big hits” that cause diagnosed concussions . . . and receive the greatest amount of attention among viewers. But what about non-concussive hits? They are head acceleration events (HAEs) that don’t necessarily result in observable and/or immediate symptoms. However, some research suggests that these “silent” hits may cause injuries associated with changes in brain function and are most associated with the risk of developing CTE long term. Answers are needed. This is why C&CF exists.
So why not deal with all possible causes? Why won’t the NFL advocate for no youth tackle football? Why not promote flag football which, candidly, they are beginning to do but not as an absolute substitute for tackle? Young athletes can still learn the game—formations, assignments, basic techniques, strategy. They can build teamwork, discipline and a competitive drive. And this alternative still achieves a huge objective for the NFL—capturing the interest of our youth to fill its pipeline of lifelong, revenue generating fans.
We all need to accept the reality that today’s football will not materially change any time soon. The financial stakes are too great to kill the golden goose. Plus, betting is becoming ubiquitous. One day betters will be able to wager while in a football stadium during a game. All this betting only drives more interest toward the NFL, swelling its coffers ever more. Therefore, to me, the only way to protect our offspring—the only line of defense—is a grass roots effort that begins with parents . . . before it’s too late! The C&CF is leading the way.
A Visual – The Brain at Risk
In Part 1 my approach was more suggestive in nature. After attending the Summit, it’s time for me to step up and be counted. While I don’t have the right to tell any parent how to raise their young ones, I do strongly believe that I have every right to try to influence that decision. Let me begin that effort with painting this visual for all parents.
Our brains are not fixed in place. They rest within the confines of our bony skull, the cranium acting to protect these engines that drive our very being against injury. Resting between our grey matter and the skull is a water-like fluid that acts as a shock absorber to cushion the brain from injury. The brain moves about when one’s head is impacted. Get the idea?
I asked AI to answer a question about the forces involved when the outside of our head is smacked. To paraphrase, “a hard hit causes the brain—which is suspended in fluid—to smash into the inner skull, often with magnified force. This movement creates injuries, where the brain impacts the side of the collision and then bounces to hit the opposite side. This often causes greater damage to the brain than the initial hit to the head.” Think of a ping-pong ball (the brain) bouncing between two paddles (the skull).
Now, let’s consider these factors about our children’s brain . . .
- At 10–12 years old, it is undergoing significant growth.
- It is more susceptible to injury—still developing, less myelination (protective coating on nerve fibers) and weaker structural support, which causes more movement inside the skull.
- The prefrontal cortex—responsible for logic, planning and impulse control—is still developing. Injuries can disrupt normal development, potentially leading to long-term cognitive, physical and psychological consequences.
- The threshold for injury is lower. A hard hit to the head of a 10-12-year-old is likely to cause more damage and worse symptoms than the same hit to a teenager or adult.
- Weaker neck muscles cannot adequately stabilize the head, leading to more violent brain movement during an impact—known as the “bobblehead effect.”
If these realities haven’t opened your eyes as to why our offspring should not play youth tackle football, then here’s more to tip the scales.
- Youth football helmets are virtually the same weight as those worn by professionals. Does that make sense.
- The same Neurotrauma study referenced above reinforces all these concerns . . .
- Starting tackle football at a younger age is associated with worse later-life cognitive, behavioral and neuropsychiatric outcomes among those who died at 60 or older.
- Each year younger a player begins tackle football is linked with a 10% greater chance of clinically meaningful memory symptoms.
- Whereas ~69% of the overall brains studied suffered from stage III or IV CTE, that percentage jumped to 87+% for the 400 brains examined where the age of death was equal to or greater than 60 years old.
There’s more data available but I’m hoping you get my point. So, let’s not bury the lead any longer. We should not allow our precious offspring to play youth contact sports, like tackle football! If we as parents don’t step up, who will? Not the NFL. Not the NCAA. Not youth football leagues.
Options Exist . . . Endorsed by Former NFL Players
Too bad that the powers-at-be, particularly the NFL and Pop Warner, haven’t followed the actions of others. At the Summit, a representative from an English soccer organization known as the Professional Football’s Association (PFA) presented. Based on its studies and research, they have spearheaded legislation in England that prevents youngsters who are under 12 from heading the ball.(3) It’s a start . . . but requires other organizations to jump on board.
My son Geoffrey, an 8-year NFL vet, has been very clear about my grandson playing youth tackle football. NO! Without equivocation, he has stated numerous times on his various national radio shows that my grandson would not be allowed to play football until high school. But he is enjoying flag football. And then there’s the opinion of Warren Sapp.
For those not familiar with the name, Warren Sapp is a Hall of Fame defensive lineman who played 13 seasons in the NFL. Sapp attended the C&CF Summit to share his story. He admitted that he’s “in treatment,” suffering, at 53, from some mental challenges. After his presentation, I approached him to ask a question.
“If a parent of an aspiring youth wanting to play tackle football approached you for advice on whether to play or not, what would you say?” His immediate response was a question posed to me. “How old are they?” “Does it matter?” I asked. Indeed, to him, it does. No youth tackle football until 14 said Sapp, which is basically the age of incoming high schoolers.
Risk/ Reward
Let’s look at this calculation from a risk/ reward perspective, working backwards.
Mike Webster, an offensive lineman whose career in the NFL covered the years from 1974 to 1990, was the first player diagnosed with CTE in 2002. Using the date of his first snap in the league as a starting point, there have only been over 20,000 unique players on NFL rosters in over 50 years. That’s really not very many.
Digging deeper . . .
- There are 53 active roster spots on each of the 32 teams in the NFL, equating to a total of ~1700 players. That’s it. 1700! Remember this number.
- There are about 81,000 players across all levels of college football. Only ~16,500 play at the highest level of Division 1 (FBS), where most future NFLers compete.
- ONLY 257 have been drafted into the NFL each of the past two years.
Getting my drift? The chance of any kid rising through the ranks to play in the NFL is simply remote.
Now layer in these numbers to the calculation . . .
- There are approximately 1.1M high school football players in the U.S.
- There are roughly 400,000 youngsters ages 5-16 found on Pop Warner rosters, but Pop Warner is not the only game in town. Possibly the most well-known though.
- Studies from the National Survey of Children’s Health and the Sports & Fitness Industry Association help to broaden our understanding.
- Per the most recent year (2023) in which data is available, there’s an estimated 27.3 million youths ages 6-17 who “participated on a sports team” or “took lessons afterschool or on weekends.”
- Specific to tackle football, based on these numbers, 621,000 youngsters ages 6-12 played tackle football on a regular basis while the numbers jump dramatically for those 13-17 to almost 1.5 million.
- It’s understood that playing 10 years in the NFL sets one up for generational financial security. Of the ~1.1M high school football players, how many will play 10 years? 11! Or, .0001%.
You’re welcome to slice and dice these numbers any way you wish but, to me, the outcome will not change. The chances of your son suffering from CTE because they participated in youth tackle football is far greater than the microscopic chance that football will make a meaningful long-term difference in their life.
NO! NO! NO!
Let’s be real –
- CTE is not a passing concern. It’s here to stay.
- Two of our nation’s leading health organizations, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), formally recognize CTE as a serious national health issue.
- And recently the World Health Organization (WHO) formally recognized CTE as a distinct neurodegenerative disease and a formal cause of dementia.
- I’m not suggesting football as a sport be abolished . . . at least not now.
- I’m not saying our children should never strap on a helmet.
Before your child ever steps onto a football field, or a soccer pitch, or hockey rink for that matter, take the time to understand the risks. The data being collected around long-term impact continues to grow. It’s compelling.
This isn’t about fear—it’s about informed decisions. As I shared in my book, Raising Giants: “It’s not about you, the parent. Put your emotions aside. Make decisions with your child’s future in mind.”
What I am advocating, clearly and without hesitation, is: We should not allow our children to play youth tackle football.
Look, I understand that there are plenty of layers to this calculus – economic realities, opportunities, friendships, even life changing pathways. Sapp was clear that football for him was a way out of his impoverished neighborhood. His can’t be a unique story. What would his life have been like if not for the opportunities afforded him by playing a sport he loved? But we’re talking about the health and welfare of our Johnnys and Julies. What’s that worth?
I welcome your thoughts, perspectives and even your pushback. I also welcome the opportunity to continue this conversation–through speaking engagements, podcasts or other forums. Hit me up at lee@raisinggiantsbook.com.
(1) – Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric Function in Former American Football Players | Neurology | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network
(2) – The Questionable Science Behind the Odd-Looking Football Helmets – The New York Times
(3) – New rule to be introduced to phase out heading in grassroots youth football matches.