By Rick Horrow and Karla Swatek
September 6, 2013
The NFL wanted to settle its class-action lawsuit with former players before the start of the 2013 season to avoid the concussion issue dominating headlines. Now that the two sides reached a $765 million deal, the league can turn its full attention to making football safer. As part of NFL kickoff events over the last week, sports safety has been a prominent topic.
In Baltimore, more than 800 students took part in NFL PLAY 60 youth football clinics. There, they received instructions on proper Heads Up tackling, and heard from medical experts about the importance of hydration, proper helmet fit and concussion awareness. In Arizona, the Cardinals announced the launch of a concussion education video game geared at young athletes. Both of these efforts come despite the NFL not admitting guilt in the concussion settlement.
