Concussions: A Growing threat to high school football players | Health

Decatur Daily

Adrian Taylor, an all-state quarterback at Speake High in 1994, said he never heard the word “concussion” when he played football.

But increased awareness and other factors have led to alarming increases in reports of concussions at high school athletic events — so much so that Alabama has joined others in making laws to protect athletes. And the message is this:

Concussions are a real and growing danger and happen more often that we know.

“I got my bell rung and several of my teammates did,” Taylor said. “We got a drink of water, cleared our head with some smelling salt and went back into the game.”

Taylor’s son, Gabe Vernon, is a senior running back at Lawrence County High, and Taylor said he talks with his son about running techniques so that he can avoid helmet-to-helmet contact. Such contact is believed to be the most common cause of concussion on the football field.

“I tell him to avoid direct hits,” Taylor said...

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