Earnhardt Jr.: Concussion research tweet was impromptu remark
Dale Earnhardt Jr. said Friday that his tweet over the off-weekend saying he would be donating his brain for concussion research was a spur-of-the-moment announcement.
Junior has suffered multiple concussions in his NASCAR career. He said he had one in 2002 that he hid to keep racing and a second concussion in a matter of two months in 2012 sidelined him for two races. The first concussion of that year, which came in a tire test, was discovered when Junior was evaluated after crashing at Talladega.
His tweet was in response to a story about former Oakland Raiders players announcing they’d be donating their brains for concussion research in honor of teammate Ken Stabler. He said he learned a bunch about concussions and brain health while recovering from the concussions he sustained over three years ago.
“I saw a story, we obviously had the week off, and I was just sitting around reading Twitter and saw that story about the Raiders donating their brains. I just thought that was amazing that those guys did that in honor of their teammate. I read where [former U.S. Women’s National Team defender Brandi Chastain] had done that maybe a month ago. That just was really inspiring and I saw someone mention, I don’t even know what the context of the tweet I was responding to was.
“I probably should have — [JR Motorsports public relations manager] Mike Davis would prefer me to have done that in a more put together fashion where we could have put together a release or whatever. I just was in the moment of conversation and that is sometimes the comfort that you find yourself in on Twitter sometimes and I didn’t expect it to turn into the story it did, but by all means if it raises more awareness and inspires people to donate their brains and pledge their brains. They don’t need just athletes. They need everybody. I’m going to give up all the organs that are worth anything when it’s over with. They can have it all.”
Discussion about concussions and CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) has once again been at the sports forefront over the last week with the NFL’s demand that the New York Times retract a story about the NFL’s concussion research.
While the NFL has been a major focus of the discussion surrounding head trauma, the racing world is a part of it too. IndyCar driver Will Power was misdiagnosed with a concussion before the season-opening race at St. Petersburg. Power, who was suffering from an inner-ear infection, was exhibiting signs that are commonly associated with concussions despite acclerometer data indicating he did not suffer a concussion when he crashed in practice before the race.
Earnhardt Jr. said he saw the purpose of the conversation that ensued after Power’s diagnosis – one spurred by Power’s Team Penske teammate and 2012 Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski – as one to help athletes that it’s “understand that it’s okay to self-diagnose [concussions] and go get help.”
Much like football, the racing community is much more aware of concussions and their effects on the human body.
“I feel very good about the protocols that are in place,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “[NASCAR] have stepped up and they have gotten more, like using the impact test, I believe in the impact test and what it’s used for and how it’s used. I think it’s a great tool not only for understanding a concussion or trying to diagnose a concussion, but it’s also a great tool to treat the concussion once you have been diagnosed and understand that you have the concussion how to treat it.”
As he said he hoped researched had advanced to the point where scientists didn’t need his brain, Earnhardt Jr. said he would be donating his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation and hoped to get a chance to make a visit to the foundation, located in Waltham, Massachusetts, during the season.
“I’m looking forward to having the opportunity when we go to New Hampshire maybe to go up to Boston University and talk to some people up there with the brain bank and learn more. I’m really excited or passionate I guess a little bit to know more about it and understand the whole process. I certainly want to know everything you can do. That is a very serious and personal decision. It would be interesting to go up there and see the bank and understand more.”
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @NickBromberg
