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Note: This was a sidebar for The Squall’s “Concussion” centerspread
By Caden Koenig
On Christmas day, the movie Concussion starring Will Smith and Alec Baldwin retells the true story of Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist who was born in Nigeria and fought against efforts of the National Football League (NFL).
Known as ‘The Concussion Doctor’, the 47-year old, portrayed by Smith, was the first to make the connection that chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a repetitive brain trauma disease, is common in football. Doctors were aware of the dangers in boxing, but Omalu was the first to shine light on the mental health effects of playing in the NFL.
The story behind the movie chronicles Dr. Omalu’s attempts at publicizing his knowledge; consequently, he unwillingly clashes with the NFL which tries to censor his research in order to protect its reputation. After Omalu published his paper, in an attempt to control the breaking news, the NFL accuses him of fraud as well as practicing voodoo. Despite their attacks on Omalu, the NFL eventually makes head trauma protocol changes including instituting a concussion management guideline to help determine if a player has a head injury.
Concussion presents a real world problem athletes face today. This movie is poised to be a fun and entertaining way to educate the curious or intrigued.
