LSAClassOf2000

June 17th, 2012 at 6:34 PM ^

Great article, and it is very nice to see Michigan going above and beyond compliance in this area and actually finding ways to make the game safer not just  for Michigan, but for everyone who plays the game. Hoke is absolutely right too - you do have to keep talking about it because eventually it is simply second nature, as safety should be (that goes for many areas of life really). 

The article didn't mention it, but I wonder if they are planning on using something similar to  Riddell's H.I.T.S telemetry system to get impact data to augment the research. It is also good to see that everyone from the equipment manager up to Dave Brandon fostering this emphasis on safer play as well - a consistent message sustains these efforts. 

maizenblueCW2

June 17th, 2012 at 6:54 PM ^

with Hoke, Mattison, and MANBALL sure to be the cause of many hard hits in the future (and this past season, for that matter), I think this research is only an effort to break even

Don

June 17th, 2012 at 8:33 PM ^

About an hour ago I was up at the UM track trying to work off some of my Father's Day meal, and there was a high school football camp/event going on, both on Elbel Field and in the Track & Field fieldhouse. I wandered into the fieldhouse, and Wellman was up on the stage addressing the assembled throng of high school kids. I only stuck around for a couple of minutes, but it was long enough to hear Wellman state that their recent experience indicates that the incidence of concussions is reduced with proper neck conditioning.

Lloyd Carr has also been involved in the issue, appearing at a UM School of Public Health symposium with Kutcher:

http://www.sph.umich.edu/news_events/findings/fall11/heights/play.htm

Blazefire

June 17th, 2012 at 11:07 PM ^

But Hoke also drank every beer in Muncie. Clearly he had brain cells to spare. It just goes to show that the effects of these hits will be different for every person, and so a program like this is critical. Some guys will be able to get "concussed" over and over without suffering major problems, such as Hoke, who is sharp as a tack. Others will suffer one and have serious problems if they ever have another.

We're all afraid of head injuries in football now, and for good reason, but at the same time, a few retired NFL'ers are depressed and commit suicied. that does NOT make an airtite case that concussions and my current favorite pseudoscientific term, "subconcussive impacts" are the cause.

Guys have been afraid to show that they have a concussion in part because they fear that it will end their career. Research like this will help diagnose what is actually dangerous. Not just what is a "concussion", and allow players and staff to make informed choices about the athlete's future. I.E. - "You've been concussed four times, but you show no decreased mental capacity, brain scaring or other issues. I don't see a reason for you to hang 'em up." OR "You've not had a 'concussion', but you took a lot of hard shots, and your scores on these mental accuity tests are going down. We think you should hang 'em up or take a red-shirt to allow your brain to heal."

In other news, dude needs an updated profile photo:

Seriously? Old scoreboards?

snarling wolverine

June 17th, 2012 at 11:01 PM ^

Michigan is the only Big Ten football team with a full-time staffer dedicated to head injuries.

Interesting. This could be some valuable recruiting ammunition. If you're sending your son to play college football, wouldn't you want him to go to a school that goes all out to treat head injuries?

Blue in Yarmouth

June 18th, 2012 at 10:28 AM ^

The NFL already knows all about concussions and their long-term health effects and hid that from everyone for years, so why don't we just ask them for the imformation these researchers are looking for?