Plaxico Burress thinks lighter helmets cause concussions

You know how players who played the game insist they know it better than those who didn’t? Yeah, that’s not always the case.

Former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress, appearing on the Opie & Jimmy Radio Show on Monday, believes that we’re seeing more concussions now because of the equipment now in play. “These guys [that are making hits] are so big and so fast,” Burress said in response to a question about the prevalence of concussions. “It really wasn’t happening that much when i was playing. i think it has something to do with these new helmets they’re using. You can’t convince me that a lighter helmet is better.”

Helmet manufacturers have been experimenting with different styles and materials to reduce or disperse force, but no helmet can make the wearer more protected against concussions, which are a function of velocity rather than protection.

“Helmets do protect the head. But they do not necessarily protect the brain from concussion, which is caused by acceleration,” David A. Hovda, director of the UCLA Brain Injury Research Center, told ABC News last year. “Helmets can absorb energy, so it is transmitted around the head differently. But I have not seen any data that would suggest a redesigned helmet would stop/prevent concussion.”

Burress’s analysis is similar to that of many old-school players and coaches, who mistake their own awareness of an existing problem for the appearance of a new one. Certainly, “concussions” weren’t as diagnosed in earlier days of the NFL as they are today, but there were an awful lot of “bells rung,” “seeing stars,” and players “slow to get up.” Worth noting: 87 of 91 deceased players tested positive for some form of brain disease.

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PBS’s Concussion Watch website shows that the number of reported concussions has actually declined from 171 in 2012 to 153 in 2013 to 124 in 2014. So far, 29 concussions have been reported this year. However, the reporting remains imperfect, on a team-by-team self-reported basis, and does not necessarily account for players who, for instance, suffer a concussion before a bye week or at the end of the year. However, the NFL has increased safety protections for concussions, from mandating specific testing protocols to altering rules.

Concussions continue to be a problem that the NFL, its players, and its fans have to come to terms with. Plenty of people and institutions are at fault, but helmets are pretty far down the list.

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