I worry.

My 6-year-old grandson has put on a football uniform for the first time this year. For now, a tackle is scored when a flag is pulled from his waistband, but all too soon, there will be body contact.

He’s a very adventurous kid, so getting knocked to the ground or banged on the head will probably not soon enough lead to any comments like, “Mommy, I don’t want to play football anymore.”

I don’t think there was any pressure or encouragement from his parents to get out on the gridiron, but I have to say they are die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fans. In Los Angeles where they reside, they gather with like-minded friends every Sunday (or whatever day) to watch the Steelers games at each other’s homes, appetizers and beverages in hand.

Their son has been a part of this Steelers culture since before he was born. In fact, my daughter wore a T-shirt stating “Future Steelers Fan” and an arrow pointing to her belly as a pregnancy announcement during football season that year. The baby’s going-home-from-the-hospital outfit was a Steelers onesie. And the first infant baby cap I made for him was a crocheted replica of an old-fashioned football helmet with a Steelers logo on the front.

Yes, football has had a pretty high priority and has always meant fun with a capital F in their household.

So, although his father was not a former high school jock, trying to live out a youthful dream through his son, he has tossed a ball with him in the backyard. The kid has definitely picked up on the All-American enthusiasm for the gridiron.

Perhaps if the parents had a passion for swimming or tennis or golf, I would not now be worried about my grandson getting a concussion.

In December, a Sony Pictures movie about football head injuries will be released. It is titled “Concussion,” starring Will Smith. The movie is based on the true story of Dr. Bennett Omalu, a forensic pathologist who first identified chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative disease affecting the brains of professional football players.

According to the movie trailer now being viewed in theaters, it depicts officials of the National Football League repeatedly attempting to discredit Omalu’s findings, which showed the damaging effects of repeated head trauma. Instead of taking immediate steps to protect its players, the NFL has, according to this movie, attempted to hide the problem from public view.

With the settling of a $90 million lawsuit in which a group of former players was compensated by the NFL for the effects of head trauma and with more attention now being paid to resting players who suffer concussions, it would be easy to conclude tthe NFL and school and local teams as well are taking a more careful look at the problem. They undoubtedly are.

On Sept. 18, the results of a study on concussions were released, revealing some disturbing statistics. The study was conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Boston University and the Concussion Legacy Foundation.

It looked at the aftereffects of multiple concussions on the brains of NFL football players and found 96 percent of the brains in the study showed signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. When NFL, semi-pro and student players were included in the study, the evidence showed 79 percent were affected.

Symptoms of individuals who have CTE include aggressive behavior, memory loss, depression and motor-skill impairment.

I just hope the American passion for football does not cloud our thinking about these study results. I hope research continues and doctors are encouraged to go public with their findings instead of being thwarted. And I hope public and parental education continues, as I know my daughter and her husband will listen carefully.

That way, I can hope my little grandson’s 6-year-old brain is still fully functioning when he is 66.

Because I worry.

Linda

Wojciechowski

associate editor

Catasauqua Press