Concussion Program Hopes to Provide Tests for 1 Million Kids
Nearly 3.8 million youngsters had concussions last year while taking part in sports and recreation. Jerome Bettis, a former star running back, is plenty familiar with concussions during a 13-year NFL career. He says he had “three or four that I could say were a problem.”
Now the player known as “The Bus” wants those young athletes to have the same sort of care that professional leagues provide. He is a spokesman for PACE (Protecting Athletes Through Concussion Education), a program that provides tests for more than 3,300 middle and high schools. The hope is that 1 million kids will have the exams and learn about concussions.
The program will be funded by Dick’s Sporting Goods, which will sponsor appearances by pro athletes who have experienced concussions.
“When I heard the number, that really did surprise me,” said Bettis, a finalist this year for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “You don’t really expect it to be that many.
“And you recognize it is a high number and how important it is for kids and parents to understand the educational aspect of dealing with concussions. That’s not to say these could have been prevented, but the more you know about concussions, the more treatable they are and the more you can prevent it from becoming a major problem in a child’s life.”