Brian Westbrook, a running back who played for the eagles for eight seasons and one for the 49ers until two years ago, is now experiencing memory loss that he believes is related to the concussions he suffered on the field.
Per Westbrook he can't remember names, recall facts or retain new information. He worries about the symptoms getting worse.
"Hopefully, they won't continue to progress," he said.
WWestbrook had several concussions throughout his career. One particularly notable concussion was in 2009. He suffered a concussion that knocked him unconscious. He went on to miss two games then cam back and got another concussion in his return.
"I thought I took enough time off to rest and recuperate. I thought I was healed completely," Westbrook said.
Although much has been put forth recently about the effects of these concussions on players and how to minimize it, the NFL is having trouble finding a balance where they can protect the players and also keep the integrity and toughness of the game in tact.
Recently, a new rule is being discussed that would put a penalty in place to stop running backs from putting their heads down to run into a defender. While this would help running backs not get as many concussions, it would also drastically change the game.
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