Hall of Famer Warren Sapp has decided to donate his brain to concussion research. Sapp made the announcement on a video posted to the the Players Tribune.
Sapp intends for his brain to be studied and analyzed, in hopes of furthering medical science’s understanding of the long term effects football has on the brain.
Sapp decided to donate his brain after he received an email from retired NFL running back Fred Willis. Contained in that email, Sapp claims, were quotes from NFL owners that downplayed the science suggesting a link between football and CTE.
“I mean down the line you could see it,” Sapp said. “‘There’s no correlation between football, CTE, suicides, and all these foolish stuff.’ I mean, where are you getting this information from and then spewing it out as if it’s fact?”
Sapp particularly lamented what he saw as the brutal, physical side of football during the time he played:
I remember those month-long training camps when we just banged and banged and hit, and it was who is tough? And misery loves company and all of the foolish sayings we used to say to each other. I mean, it was just bad. It was Neanderthals. We were dinosaurs. We were doing Oklahoma drills, bull in the ring, all the crazy stuff that was just about a tough guy. It wasn’t how much skills you had. It was just the bare bones of bone on bone, and that’s not what this game should be. It’s about skills.
Sapp says he’s already suffered significant memory loss. Despite the fact that he’s only 44 years old:
I had one of those silly memories. I used to call myself an elephant in the room. Never forget anything. Man, I wake up now and be like, ‘OK, what are we doing?’ Let me get the phone. I mean, with the reminders in the phones, it really helped me get through my day with appointments and different things that I have to do because it’s just, I just can’t remember anymore like I used to. And it’s from the banging we did as football players. We used to tackle them by the head, used to grab facemasks. We used to allow Deacon Jones to do the head slap. All of that was something that we had to take away from the game. We used to hit quarterbacks below the knees. Now, it’s the strike zone. Let’s keep making the game better.
Sapp also believes there should be a ban on tackle football for all children pre-high school. Sapp said, “That’s the biggest thing. Make it safer for everyone involved. Let’s get the research, apply the knowledge. And let’s make it better for everyone.”
Warren Sapp played in the NFL for thirteen years. Afterwards he worked as an analyst on the NFL Network before being fired in 2015 for soliciting prostitution and assault.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter: @themightygwinn
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.