Congressman wants records on pro football head injuries

The United States government may finally be on the verge of looking into brain injuries suffered by pro football players.

At a congressional hearing today, U.S. Rep. John Conyers requested records on head injuries suffered by professional football players. The Associated Press reports that Conyers, a Democrat and House committee chairman, is seeking an “independent review of all the data” due to the “life and death” nature of the issue.

Not everyone is for federal government stepping in. U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith said “the NFL does not need Congress to referee this issue,” and the Texas Republican said lawmakers “cannot legislate the elimination of injuries from the games without eliminating the games themselves.”

Congress’ action came in light of a study from researchers at the University of Michigan that found retired pro football players may suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and other mental health issues at a higher than normal rate. Researchers haven’t found a definitive link, but they say the issue does deserve more study.

Earlier this month, I spoke to Christopher Nowinski of the Sports Legacy Institute, which studies the

degenerative neurological condition these players have experienced,

which is called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).