Giants Punter Steve Weatherford To Donate Brain For Scientific Research
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Giants punter Steve Weatherford, along with former NFL wide receiver Sidney Rice, will donate his brain for scientific research after he passes away.
Weatherford and Rice talked about their decisions on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday morning.
Rice, who was a Pro Bowler in 2009, retired at age 27 after suffering 10 concussions in his lifetime. He says he got his first concussion when he was about eight years old.
I'm donating my brain post mortem for scientific research. Think about your brain health and check out @MEsportsUSA. #EHT
— Steve Weatherford (@Weatherford5) March 3, 2015
"I think it's important," Weatherford told Fox News. "Different from Sidney, I haven't had a ton of concussions. I think I've had two over the course of 10 years as an NFL football player. But I'm in it more to help generations after us.
"You study (Rice's) brain by comparison to my brain, and just because you've had traumatic head injuries, (it) doesn't mean that you don't need your brain studied because they're gonna have to have brains to compare to other ones. For me it's about overall health right now, but you want to help the future and pay it forward."
The NFL has faced plenty of controversy and plenty of lawsuits over its handling of concussions.
A pair of Super Bowl Champions are donating their brains to science. @Weatherford5 @sidneyrice pic.twitter.com/8nVRdoavjV
— Steve Overmyer (@OvermyerTV) March 3, 2015
Weatherford said that, despite the risks involved, he'll let his son play football. But there's a caveat.
"I am gonna let my son play, but I'm gonna hold him out of contact football until 16," Weatherford told Fox News. "I just think the risk of teaching your kid how to play football at an early age -- with all the contact on your head and your neck -- we only have one body. You can always get surgery on your knee or your ankle, or a hip replaced.
"But you only get one brain. There's no transplant for that."
Rice agreed that he'll let his son play, but he hopes when that time comes it will be much safer on the playing field than it is now.
"I'm just thankful for being a professional athlete and having the platform to bring awareness to something that's a serious issue," Weatherford said.
The athletes are hoping to curb a growing problem. Since 1990 the number of concussions in children who play sports has increased by 27 percent.
"Every successive concussion is a multiplier effect. It's not like you get one plus one equals two, it's like one plus one equals four. Each time the effects are more and more damaging," Dr. David Grand said.
The NFL has made great strides in identifying and limiting concussions. This year saw a 25 percent decrease in concussions, and over a 3 year span that number is down 37 percent. A bill to create concussion training for coaches of student athletes passed the Senate by a vote of 45-4 and will move to the house.