Westhampton - Harry Carson, former Super Bowl winning Line Backer for the NY Giants, realized a few years after he retired from professional football, that he suffers from post-concussion syndrome. He suffered bouts of depression, has moments when he cannot remember things or get the words out, gets frequent headaches, has blurred vision, is often sensitive to light, among other maladies that made him initially think he had a brain tumor. When his doctor diagnosed that he indeed has post-concussion syndrome, Carson said he was actually relieved because he thought it may have been a brain tumor. But his neurological problems are so severe, that he says if he had to do it all over again, he would not have played football!

Harry Carson, former Super Bowl winning Line Backer for the NY Giants, discussed head trauma. (www.harrycarson.com)

I recently devoted one of my "Sports Innerview with Ann Liguori" radio shows (heard on NPR affiliate WLIU 88.3FM every Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.) to the serious issue of brain injuries in sports. Liz Giordano, the CEO of the Brain Injury Association, says there are more than five million people in the U.S. who have suffered a traumatic brain injury. "Someone suffers a traumatic brain injury every 22 seconds in our country," Giordano added.

Carson, a guest on my show, said he became somewhat of an expert on the subject of post-concussion syndrome, based on his own symptoms. He is self-taught. "I listened to my own body and how I felt. There were a number of situations that came up - mood swings, bouts of depression, headaches, blurred vision, sensitivity to bright lights and loud noises. There were good days and bad days and on the good days, I could tolerate it and on the bad days, I thought I was going crazy. I had involuntary muscle twitches. I would be, live, on the air and forget to make a point or I would forget people's names as I was interviewing them. It took me a while to put all these symptoms together to realize that they were neurological symptoms."

Carson continued "The reality was that when I was playing football, as many hits as I was dishing out, the hits were coming back to me and I realized that I really injured myself playing the game of football."

"In retrospect, I guess that I suffered between 12 to 18 concussions during my career. But I never had a concussion where I was sprawled out on the ground. The concussions that I sustained were concussions where I saw stars, my mind faded to black but I was able to regain consciousness very quickly. I stayed out there. Some of those concussions were sustained in practice hitting the blocking sled with a certain amount of force."

"Now when parents write me asking for advice if their kid who may have suffered a concussion or two in high school playing football, and should continue to play, I say absolutely not! You'd have to think twice about sending your kid out there."

Former NY Rangers Ron Duguay. (PatrickMcMullan.com)

There have been numerous examples of other NFL retirees suffering problems in this area.

A post-mortem on former Pittsburgh Steelers lineman Justin Strzelczyk in 2004 concluded that his depression and dementia were exacerbated by chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative disease known to cause cognitive decline, behavioral abnormalities and ultimately dementia. CTE is usually associated with athletes vulnerable to head injuries such as boxers. Strzelczyk was only 36, but his brain looked like that of an 80-year-old.

In another case, neuropathologists concluded that former Philadelphia Eagles player Andre Waters' depression and suicide in 2006 were the result of concussions.

This issue took center stage last fall with the House Judiciary Committee investigating head injuries in football. While testifying, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell did not acknowledge a direct link between playing football and brain disorders. "The NFL is not going to come out and say football is hazardous to your health," says Carson. But soon after these Congressional testimonies, both Dr. Ira Casson and Dr. David Viano, the co-chairs of the league's committee on brain injuries, resigned. Could that be a sign that the NFL is willing to make changes in its approach to head injuries? According to reports, Commissioner Goodell spoke to NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith a few months ago about "the importance of players reporting head injuries, no matter how minor they believe they might be." The commissioner said that process needs to include players observing and reporting to the team medical staff when a teammate shows symptoms of a concussion. And the NFL is apparently collaborating with the players union to identify independent neurologists to work with team medical staffs to treat players with brain injuries.

In a more recent radio show devoted to this issue, I interviewed former NY Rangers Ron Duguay. He played hockey without wearing a helmet and now says he has memory loss. His memory loss is so severe, he underwent neurological tests this past December. He said he is taking supplements now to try to prevent further memory loss.

Ann Liguori at the 2010 Head Injury Awareness & Prevention Celebrity Sports Forum. (Carmine Calabro)

Literally a few days after this show aired, head injuries was the predominant issue at the NHL general managers meetings in Florida. They unanimously decided to recommend a rule change on blindside hits to the head, looking to protect players and punish those responsible in a game that has become faster and rougher.

The GMs will recommend to the competition committee that referees call a minor or major penalty for any hit where the primary point of contact is the head. Such a violation would be reviewed for possible further discipline. The competition committee will make its review during the NHL finals. If approved, the proposal would go to the board of governors for ratification. The players already have signaled support and the new rule - yet to be given a specific name - could take effect next season.

I am in favor of Congress examining this issue to promote safety in all sports. The Congressional hearings on steroids in baseball exposed the problem nationally. Major League Baseball reacted with more drug testing and harsher penalties. The NFL needs to do more to educate current and retired players about the symptoms of concussions and post-concussion syndrome. Young players need to be educated on the risk they take playing a violent, contact sport and the fact that one's neurological system can be hurt and they can suffer, years after they stop playing. Congress should ensure that all sports leagues promote safety. All too often, violence in football, hockey and boxing is glorified. All athletes, regardless of the sport, need to be equipped to safeguard against head injury.

The fact that all states do not require helmets while riding a motorcycle is beyond me. Thirty percent of all traumatic brain injuries come from motor cycle accidents. If it takes Congress getting involved to keep the seriousness of traumatic brain injuries in the forefront and to promote the wearing of helmets and other safety equipment in all contact sports, than it is a good thing.

In the meantime, remember that you don't have to lose consciousness to suffer a concussion. If you think you or someone you are with has suffered a concussion, seek medical attention immediately. If you experience nausea, blurred vision, tiredness, see a doctor immediately. And those of you who have already suffered a concussion, know that you are more likely to suffer an additional head injury.

Know the facts before you chose your sport.