Over the last few years, the growing recognition of the threat posed by concussion has started to take hold in American football and beyond.
But one man who has been central to getting the process started was Dr Bennet Omalu, who is portrayed by Hollywood star Will Smith in movie Concussion. The Nigerian-American physician was the first medical professional to publish findings of the neurological condition chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in American football players. Symptoms of CTE include aggression, memory loss and dementia. Tonight on Off The Ball, Omalu joined Joe Molloy to talk about the extent of his work to the point that Hollywood has now taken interest. “When I met Will Smith, I was stricken by his humility. He’s an extremely humble individual,” said Dr Omalu of the silver screen aspect of his story.  But he also believes that focusing solely on concussion alone rather than head blows as a general rule in the starkest terms. “The industry’s focus on concussions is a misappropriation of the science which may be by default intentional or unintentional,” he said, explaining that Webster suffered CTE without suffering concussion, among other examples.
 

Read more at Newstalk 106-108 fm

Elsewhere on Ventures

Triangle arrow