Former Patriots CB Among 30 Players To Pledge Brains For CTE Research
BOSTON (CBS) – Shawn Springs, who briefly played with the Patriots at the end of his NFL career, is among 30 former players who have pledged their brains to research for CTE research.
Springs played in 12 games for the Patriots in 2009, the final season of his career. Selected third overall in the 1997 NFL Draft, Springs made a Pro Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks.
The Concussion Legacy Foundation announced Thursday that as a part of Brain Pledge Month, Springs, 3-time Super Bowl Champion Randy Cross, and 3-time Pro Bowl guard Keith Sims pledged their brains for scientific research.
The names of the remaining 30 players will be released throughout the month.
"As we start to see the effects of football, we want to learn more," said Springs. "Why wouldn't I give my brain to help with the research so people can become more educated and more aware?"
The Concussion Legacy Foundation partnered with Boston University and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in 2008 to start the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank. It is now the world's largest brain bank that focuses on head trauma.
A total of 385 brains, 277 from football players, have been donated. As a result, the group has diagnosed at least 240 brains with CTE.
"Pledging to donate your brain is a fantastic way for current and former athletes to contribute to brain trauma research," said Chris Nowinski, co-founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation.
"Brain bank research is an essential step in learning to prevent and treat CTE, and has provided insights that have launched multiple studies at the Boston University CTE Center focused on developing diagnostics and therapeutics."
