PITTSBURGH (93-7 THE FAN) — Dr. Robert Cantu, the co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at the Boston University School of Medicine, joined Starkey and Miller on Sports Radio 93-7 The FAN to talk about the latest news on the study of Junior Seau’s brain and how dangerous football is for players long-term health.
We open things up discussing Junior Seau’s final years, the signs he had shown of having CTE, and Dr. Cantu’s assumption based off the information he has seen, that the major factor in the case of Seau’s brain damage stemmed from the hits he took throughout his NFL career.
Dr. Cantu told us he is recommending that in order to limit the effects of head trauma early in life, children should not be allowed to play tackle football until the age of 14.
One way players are working to try to prevent the onset of CTE is by experimenting with new equipment like Steeler James Harrison who is using a Kevlar helmet. Dr. Cantu said such efforts are better than what players have done in the past, but not the solution to the problem.
