CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns legend Bernie Kosar opened up about his brain trauma and what he is doing to treat the effect they have had on him over the years.
Kosar estimates he has had at least a dozen documented concussions, and maybe more. He says he has found a doctor who can reverse the effects, but still he hopes his story helps current and future players and coaches.
Erren Conwell, 8, and his 6-year-old brother Donovan love to play football. But due to the risk of getting hurt, including suffering a concussion, their mother limits their play to flag football, not tackle.
“The tackle part bothers me because like I said, why would I put my child at risk when I don’t have to. He can play flag football, still get the concept of organized sports and not run the risk of having a concussion,” said the boys’ mother, Letra Conwell.
It is stories like Kosar’s that make Letra Conwell so cautious. He spoke to reporters about the effects numerous concussions from hard hits over his career have had on his life.
“Our concussion test was for are you mentally OK to play, was your finger. They wouldn’t give you one because that was too easy, they wouldn’t give you three because you may miss it, so you knew it was gonna be two,” said the former Browns quarterback.
Kosar says just before Thanksgiving, he found a doctor in Florida that he says has reversed some of the problems associated with his multiple concussions.
“He’s reversed the trauma and fixed the brain trauma, those were some of the benefits besides the headaches are gone away, the buzzing’s gone away, the sleeping through the night, not needing stuff to sleep or whatever, and the speech is better. That’s what people are saying,” Kosar said.
“With enough G-force, the brain slams up against the skull and with enough G-force, the arteries deliver blood flow and the brain chemicals that turn on the electricity, those vessels will scar down about seven to eight weeks after trauma,” said Dr. Rick Sponaugle.
Kosar says he feels restored, 20 years younger.
Letra Conwell’s sons have mixed feelings about their mother’s ban on tackle football.
“I watch football and especially the receivers, which I’m a receiver in flag football, they get hurt a lot,” said Erren Conwell.
“I think I should be on tackle football. I think I won’t get hurt or I won’t bleed in my nose, because we have those helmets on,” said Donovan Conwell.
“As long as I’m in control, they will be playing flag football,” said their mother.
Also on Thursday, results revealed that NFL linebacker Junior Seau suffered from brain disease, which might have led him to take his own life last May.
