Will Smith Goes Head-To-Head With The NFL In 'Concussion'
By Ray Boyd
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia native Will Smith takes on the NFL in his upcoming movie, Concussion. Sony released the first trailer (Watch the full trailer below) for the film set to hit theaters on Christmas Day and in it Smith's character goes head-to-head with the powerful league over the impact that head injuries can have on players.
Smith plays real-life pathologist, Dr. Bennet Omalu, a Nigerian-born doctor based in Pittsburgh. Omalu discovered a brain condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after performing the autopsy of several deceased NFL players.
In the film, Smith takes on the NFL to try to bring his discovery to light.
CTE has been linked to several former NFL players such as Junior Seau, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2012 and former Eagles DB Andre Waters who committed suicide in 2006 at the age of 44.
The NFL has had a complicated connection to this issue, evident by the $1-billion settlement reached to address several concussion lawsuits brought against the league by former players.
The league also watched one of its top rookies, Chris Borland, retire after just one season due to concerns he had over the risk of brain damage from playing in the NFL.
Alongside Smith, Concussion stars Alec Baldwin, Luke Wilson, Albert Brooks and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
