A new movie starring Will Smith will show the hidden dangers of football and the consequences the sport can have on the brains of athletes. In the movie Concussion, Will Smith plays Dr. Bennet Omalu, a neuropathologist who takes on the National Football League (NFL). Dr. Omalu was credited with discovering chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in the brain of deceased Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster, who mysteriously committed suicide.

The movie will center on allegations that the NFL ignored information about CTE and the effects it has on former football players. The condition, a degenerative brain disease, can result from sustaining multiple concussions.

CTE and its effects have become a national controversy, and it is speculated the condition has caused deaths and other significant problems for current and former players. The brain disease, which normally occurs years after multiple concussions, can cause depression, memory loss, impulse control problems and dementia.

Risks associated with concussions have caused football players to approach the sport with apprehension. A linebacker with the 49ers recently quit after his first season, citing concerns about concussions and CTE.

How Common Is CTE Among Football Players?

Will Smith’s new movie could give the general public more information on footballs and concussions. Recent data from a Boston University study suggests CTE has become endemic in football. Researchers with BU studied the brains of 79 deceased professional football players. After the study concluded, it was shown 76 of the players had signs of CTE scarring. The researchers claimed the longer athletes play the sport and the more concussions they sustain, the greater the risk for developing CTE.

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