Flutie acknowledged that fans may not understand those rule changes, or why professional athletes are held out with concussions.
"There’s complaints, because you got guys like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, your franchise guys--people say, 'He feels healthy, what do you mean he can’t play? I just saw him in the store the other day walking around, he looks fine.' It’s tough to balance with fans."
McGrath said that while the link between repeated concussions and the risk of dementia later in life is "growing frighteningly clear," resistance to benching concussed athletes is diminishing.
"There’s always some resistance, but we’re seeing less and less of it. Athletes are trained to play through adversity. But there’s a difference between persisting through other injuries and respecting concussions. Kids don’t always understand all the risks in life, and this is one we’re trying to make them more aware of."
He said that athletes can recover from having more than one concussion as long as each one is given the time to heal properly.
"I see high school and college students in my practice who never took the time to get well. They have symptoms for months and years. You worry their cognitive functions won’t return to normal."
McGrath said his son had a concussion as a high school athlete, and the coach wisely benched him.
"I was grateful because the coach said, 'Listen, you’re a good player, but I have a feeling you’re gonna need your brain for something else someday.' He’s working in D.C. now, and boy, does he need his brain."
