NFL, players see progress in tackling concussions

They should not see a player lying prone on the field after the sickening crack of a helmet-to-helmet hit, thanks to an NFL effort to reduce player concussions. With a growing body of research showing that hits to the head over years on the football field can lead to early dementia, violent behavior and other mental problems later in life, league officials, former players and medical experts have been working to reduce the number of concussions on the field. Medical officials with the National Football League said changes including banning helmet-to-helmet hits and more aggressively monitoring players' condition on the sidelines have paid off: the number of concussions suffered by players dropped 13 percent in the 2013 season from 2012. The latest data was encouraging to Shawn Wooden, 40, a retired defensive back who spent most of his career with the Miami Dolphins and is one of 4,500 former players suing the NFL, saying the league knowing downplayed the risk of concussions to player health.



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