Christopher Nowinski

Last updated

Christopher Nowinski
Chris nowinski.jpg
Nowinski in 2005
Born
Christopher John Nowinski

(1978-09-24) September 24, 1978 (age 46) [1]
Oak Park, Illinois, U.S. [1]
Alma mater Harvard University (AB)
Boston University (PhD)
Occupation(s)Co-founder and CEO of Concussion Legacy Foundation
Author
Professional wrestler
Years active2001–2003 (professional wrestling)
Notable workHead Games: Football's Concussion Crisis
SpouseNicole Roderman (married 2013–present)
Ring name(s) Chris Harvard [1]
Chris Nowinski
Christopher Nowinski [1]
Harvard Chris [2]
Billed height6 ft 5 in (196 cm) [3]
Billed weight270 lb (122 kg) [3]
Trained by Al Snow [1]
Killer Kowalski [2]
Tazz [1]
DebutJune 29, 2001 [2]
RetiredJuly 12, 2003

Christopher John Nowinski (born September 24, 1978) is an American neuroscientist, author and retired professional wrestler. After extensively researching concussions in American football, Nowinski co-founded the Concussion Legacy Foundation, where he is currently CEO and co-founded Boston University's CTE Center. [4] As a professional wrestler, he is best known for his tenure with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) under the ring name Chris Harvard and later under his real name.

Contents

Early life and education

Nowinski attended John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois, serving as team captain of the football and basketball teams. [5] He graduated cum laude from Harvard with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology in 2000. [6] Nowinski played college football for the Crimson as a defensive tackle, earning second-team All-Ivy League honors. [5] He worked as a pharmaceutical and biotech consultant in Boston shortly after graduation. [5]

In 2017, he graduated with a Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience from Boston University. [7] [8] He decided to study behavioral neuroscience after a 2003 head injury caused multiple symptoms, including a three-year-long headache. [8]

Professional wrestling career

Early career (2001–2002)

Nowinski did not begin watching wrestling until his senior year of college. [5] After graduating from Harvard, he joined Killer Kowalski's wrestling school in Malden, Massachusetts. [5] Nowinski became one of the three finalists on WWE's (at the time trading as WWF) first season of Tough Enough , which Maven Huffman won. After failing to win the competition, Nowinski made appearances in independent promotions in Massachusetts before being hired by WWF and entering its developmental territories. [9] Nowinski competed as Chris Harvard, capitalizing on his status as an alumnus of Harvard University. [10] Nowinski made his first major independent appearance in London, UK for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance promotion at its Lights Camera Action show on December 14, 2001. Nowinski competed in its main event teaming up with Alex Shane to defeat Drew McDonald and Flash Barker. [11] Though this was the only show Nowinski did for the promotion, he regards it as the best promotion he has ever worked for outside of WWE. [12] In early 2002 he continued to work in the independents throughout the States and Heartland Wrestling Association in Ohio.

World Wrestling Entertainment (2002–2003)

Nowinski at a WWE house show in September 2002. Chrisharvard.jpg
Nowinski at a WWE house show in September 2002.

On the June 10, 2002, episode of Raw , Nowinski debuted in WWE as a heel, helping William Regal beat Bradshaw in a European Championship match. [9] Nowinski had a short-lived alliance with Regal, defeating Spike Dudley in his debut match the following week with Regal in his corner. [13] Nowinski teamed with Regal on the June 24 episode of Raw, defeating Bradshaw and Dudley. [14] Nowinski continued to feud with Bradshaw over the next few weeks, with their feud ending on the July 8 episode of Raw, where Nowinski teamed with Jackie Gayda in a losing effort against Bradshaw and Trish Stratus, while also trying to warm up Regal from his breakdown after he lost the European Championship to Jeff Hardy. [15] Nowinski feuded with The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and Spike Dudley) through the summer. [16]

Nowinski defeated Tommy Dreamer on the September 9 episode of Raw. A week later, Dreamer attacked Nowinski in a classroom. Their feud ended on the October 14 episode of Raw, where Nowinski was once again successful in defeating Dreamer. Over the next few weeks, Nowinski claimed victories over Jeff Hardy and Booker T before starting a feud with his former Tough Enough trainer, Al Snow. On the November 25 episode of Raw, Nowinski went against Maven in a match that ended in a no contest. Nowinski teamed with D'Lo Brown to defeat Snow and Maven on two occasions. Nowinski continued his feud with Maven into 2003, where Test aligned himself with Maven for a few weeks, successfully defeating Nowinski and Brown on January 13, 2003, episode of Raw. [17]

Nowinski competed his first ever Royal Rumble match in 2003, entering at #3. During the match Edge and Rey Mysterio performed a double missile dropkick on Nowinski, but a mistimed execution caused Edge to land on Nowinski's head that caused his subsequent post-concussion syndrome later in his career.

Also from February to April 2003, Nowinski made appearances in WWE's developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling.

On the March 31 episode of Raw, Nowinski was defeated by Scott Steiner. The feud come to an end on the May 12 episode of Raw, where Nowinski teamed with La Résistance (René Duprée and Sylvain Grenier) in a losing effort against Steiner, Test and Goldust. On the May 26 episode of Raw, Nowinski aligned himself with Thuggin' And Buggin' Enterprises, an African American wrestling stable consisting of Rodney Mack, Jazz and their manager Theodore Long. At Insurrextion, Nowinski teamed with Mack and Long in a losing effort against The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley, D-Von Dudley and Spike Dudley). At Bad Blood, Nowinski and Mack defeated Bubba Ray and D-Von. Nowinski wrestled his final televised match, due to him sustaining post-concussion syndrome, on the June 23 episode of Raw, in a losing effort against Maven. His last match was on July 12 with Rodney Mack defeating Rosey and Tommy Dreamer at a house show in Green Bay, Wisconsin. [18] After a full year of post-concussion symptoms he chose to retire from wrestling. [19]

Writing career

Nowinski appearing at the Killer Kowalski Memorial Show in 2008. Chris Nowinski.jpg
Nowinski appearing at the Killer Kowalski Memorial Show in 2008.

Following his wrestling career, Nowinski authored Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis in 2006, which examined the long-term effects of head trauma among athletes, and also became a documentary. [20] The Lancet said "the book sent shockwaves through the National Football League (NFL)" and details his career-ending injury and discusses the dangers of concussions in football and other contact sports; the book includes stories from National Football League (NFL) players and fellow wrestlers, and has an introduction written by former governor of Minnesota and professional wrestler, Jesse Ventura. [21]

Later that year, Nowinski initiated an inquiry into the suicide of Andre Waters, a 44-year-old former NFL defensive back who shot himself on November 20, 2006. Waters had sustained several concussions over his career, and at Nowinski's behest, Waters' family agreed to send pieces of his brain to be tested. Bennet Omalu, a pathologist at the University of Pittsburgh announced that "the condition of Waters' brain tissue was what would be expected in an 85-year-old man, and there were characteristics of someone being in the early stages of Alzheimer's". [22] [23]

Nowinski played a role in the discovery of the fourth case of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in a former NFL football player, former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Justin Strzelczyk, who was killed in an automobile crash in 2004 at age 36. [24] Julian Bailes, the chairman of the department of neurosurgery at West Virginia University and the Steelers' team neurosurgeon during Strzelczyk's career, insisted to Nowinski over a phone conversation that he thought Strzelczyk's death, which was precipitated by strange behavior that some had labeled as "bipolar", was worth looking into due to its similarities to the Andre Waters case. Nowinski contacted Omalu, who discovered the brain was still available, and Nowinski called Mary Strzelczyk, Justin's mother, to ask for permission to Omalu to examine it for CTE. Omalu's positive diagnosis was confirmed by two other neuropathologists. [25] [26]

Nowinski came together with Ted Johnson, former New England Patriots linebacker, on revealing symptoms of concussions after Johnson (who received over half a dozen concussions in his career) retired from the NFL. [27]

Nowinski alerted police and the coroner of Chris Benoit, asking them to do a brain exam on Benoit's brain [28] to see if concussions had any part in his rage or depression at the time of the double-homicide of his family and his suicide. [29] In June 2007, Nowinski co-founded the Sports Legacy Institute (now the Concussion Legacy Foundation), an organization dedicated to furthering awareness of and research on sports-related head injuries, and increasing the safety of contact and collision sports worldwide. Nowinski's work was documented on ESPN's Outside the Lines on September 5, 2007. On the same day, Benoit's brain examination report showed extensive damage due to concussions that could have led to dementia. [28]

Concussion Legacy Foundation

Since Nowinski's departure from WWE and the publication of his book Head Games, he has garnered a significant amount of media attention, making numerous appearances on networks such as ESPN and CNN to discuss sports-related head injuries. [8] On June 14, 2007, Nowinski and Robert Cantu founded the Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) in Boston, Massachusetts in reaction to medical research indicating brain trauma in sports had become a public health crisis. Postmortem analysis of the brain tissue of former contact sports athletes was revealing that repetitive brain injuries, both concussions and subconcussive blows, could lead to the neurodegenerative disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). An absence of awareness and education on concussions, specifically proper diagnosis and management, was allowing the disease to proliferate. Finally, with brain trauma becoming the signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, this research/education model could also be applied to the military.

CLF was founded to solve the concussion crisis in sports and the military through medical research, treatment, and education & prevention. The initial vision of the CLF was to formalize neuropathological research and develop and treatment, via partnership with a top-tier university medical school. To that end, the CLF began such a partnership with Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) in September 2008, collaborating in formation of its Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE Center). [30]

CLF has sought to develop ways to raise awareness of the issue and to directly educate coaches, athletes and parents and has been featured in articles in The New York Times , [31] on news programs such as 60 Minutes [32] and Frontline , [33] and CNN. [34]

In August 2010, Nowinski took offense to Linda McMahon saying during her Senate campaign that she only met recently overdosed wrestler Lance Cade "once" and said it was "absolutely unsafe to work in that ring. They have no oversight into what actually happens in the ring, and they are encouraging steroid use." [35]

In September 2015, the "Sports Legacy Institute" announced a rebrand and changed its name to the Concussion Legacy Foundation. The rebrand aimed to align the evolution of the organization's programs with its name. [36]

Nowinski served as co-director at the CTE Center of BUSM, where he worked closely with Ann McKee, M.D., and other center experts, until 2013. Initially, he worked as a liaison making contact with athletes and families of deceased athletes, to further case studies that examine brain tissues impacted by CTE. As of 2020 he serves as the Outreach, Recruitment, Education, and Public Policy Leader.[ citation needed ]

Hockey News listed Nowinski on its 2011 edition of the 100 Most Powerful people in ice hockey as one of the Top 40 under the age of 40. This recognition was attributed to his ability in getting hockey players to donate brain tissue after death. [37]

In January 2023, Nowinski presented warnings and criticism of an increased prevalence in slap fighting, to include a U.S. based reality show focused on the emerging sport. [38]

Accomplishments

Science and business

Vice called Nowinski "the man most responsible for making CTE part of the national conversation" and in 2010 Sports Illustrated printed: "It is Nowinski's figure which looms behind the doctors and the headlines and the debate roiling over sports' newfound commitment to minimizing head trauma." [39] [40]

Professional wrestling

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Benoit</span> Canadian professional wrestler (1967–2007)

Christopher Michael Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career, but became notorious for murdering his wife and son.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Cage</span> Canadian professional wrestler and actor

William Jason Reso, better known by his ring name Christian Cage, is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of The Patriarchy stable. He is widely known for his time with WWF/E, where he performed as Christian. He is also recognized for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spike Dudley</span> American professional wrestler

Matthew Jonathan Hyson is an American semi-retired professional wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Spike Dudley. Prior to WWE, Hyson began performing as Spike Dudley in the 1990s with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW); the Spike Dudley character being a member of The Dudley Brothers. As part of a storyline, fellow members Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley betrayed the faction to form a separate Dudley Boyz tag team; resulting in Hyson and members being involved in a subsequent feud with the duo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Test (wrestler)</span> Canadian-American professional wrestler and actor (1975 – 2009)

Andrew James Robert Patrick Martin was a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He was best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/WWE) under the ring name Test.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evolution (professional wrestling)</span> Professional wrestling stable

Evolution was a villainous American professional wrestling stable in WWE which was a part of the Raw brand from 2003 to 2005, as well as during 2007 and 2014. They are widely regarded as one of the greatest wrestling faction of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maven (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler

Maven Huffman is an American YouTuber and former professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) under his first name, where he is known for co-winning the inaugural season of Tough Enough alongside Nidia Guenard. He also became a three-time WWE Hardcore Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania X8</span> 2002 World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

WrestleMania X8 was the 18th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It took place on St Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2002, at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the second WrestleMania at that venue after WrestleMania VI in April 1990. The event marked the final WrestleMania event held under the WWF name and the Attitude Era, as the company entered the Ruthless Aggression Era in April and renamed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) a month later. It was also the last WrestleMania held before the introduction of the brand extension just a week after the event. The record-breaking attendance for the SkyDome of 68,237 grossed approximately $6.1 million CAD. WrestleMania weekend also included WWF Fan Axxess at the Canadian National Exhibition's Automotive Building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Rumble (2003)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2003 Royal Rumble was the 16th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown! brand divisions. The event took place on January 19, 2003, at the Fleet Center in Boston, Massachusetts. It was the first Royal Rumble event produced under the WWE name after the promotion was renamed from World Wrestling Federation (WWF) to WWE in May 2002. It was also the first Royal Rumble to occur under the first brand split.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Survivor Series (2004)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2004 Survivor Series was the 18th annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown! brand divisions. The event took place on November 14, 2004, at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. This is the first event to take place in Cleveland, Ohio but the fourth to take place in the state of Ohio all took place in Richfield, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Strzelczyk</span> American football player (1968–2004)

Justin Conrad Strzelczyk was an American professional football offensive tackle who played nine full seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1990 to 1998. His death, at age 36, helped spark a debate in the NFL about the link between playing football and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). He is one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with this disease, which is caused by repeated hits to the head.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chronic traumatic encephalopathy</span> Neurodegenerative disease caused by head injury

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head. The encephalopathy symptoms can include behavioral problems, mood problems, and problems with thinking. The disease often gets worse over time and can result in dementia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andre Waters</span> American football player and coach (1962–2006)

Andre Maurice Waters was an American professional football player who was a safety for the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) from 1984 to 1995. Waters was regarded as one of the NFL's most aggressive players, serving as an integral part of one of the league's top defenses. On November 20, 2006, Waters died by suicide and was subsequently diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). He is one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with CTE, which is caused by repeated hits to the head.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Benoit double-murder and suicide</span> 2007 familicide

Over a three-day period between June 22 and 24, 2007, Chris Benoit, a 40-year-old Canadian professional wrestler employed by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), murdered his wife Nancy and their seven-year-old son, Daniel, before hanging himself at their residence in Fayetteville, Georgia, United States. Autopsy results showed that Benoit's wife was murdered first, having died of asphyxiation on the night of June 22.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armageddon (2003)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2003 Armageddon was the fourth Armageddon professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw brand division. The event took place on December 14, 2003, at the TD Waterhouse Centre in Orlando, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bad Blood (2003)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2003 Bad Blood was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was the second Bad Blood and took place on June 15, 2003, at the Compaq Center in Houston, Texas. The event was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw brand division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unforgiven (2002)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2002 Unforgiven was the fifth annual Unforgiven professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown! brand divisions. The event took place on September 22, 2002, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. It was the first Unforgiven held under the WWE name, after the promotion was renamed from World Wrestling Federation (WWF) to WWE earlier that year in May, as well as the first Unforgiven held during the first brand extension that began in March.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bennet Omalu</span> Nigerian-American pathologist

Dr. Bennet Ifeakandu Omalu is a Nigerian-American physician, forensic pathologist, and neuropathologist who was the first to discover and publish findings on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in American football players while working at the Allegheny County coroner's office in Pittsburgh. He later became the chief medical examiner for San Joaquin County, California, and is a professor at the University of California, Davis, department of medical pathology and laboratory medicine. He is currently the president and medical director of Bennet Omalu Pathology.

<i>Concussion</i> (2015 film) 2015 film by Peter Landesman

Concussion is a 2015 American biographical sports drama film written and directed by Peter Landesman, based on the exposé "Game Brain" by Jeanne Marie Laskas, published in 2009 by GQ magazine. Set during the 2000s, the film stars Will Smith as Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist who fights against the National Football League trying to suppress his research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) brain degeneration suffered by professional football players.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston University CTE Center and Brain Bank</span>

The Boston University CTE Center is an independently run medical research lab located at the Boston University School of Medicine. The Center focuses on research related to the long-term effects of brain trauma and degenerative brain diseases, specializing in the diagnosis and analysis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). According to researchers at Boston University, CTE is a brain disease involving progressive neurological deterioration common in athletes, military personnel, and others who have a history of brain trauma. The disease is primarily caused by repeated blows to the head, some of which result in concussions or sub-concussive symptoms.

Most documented cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy have occurred in many athletes involved in contact sports such as boxing, American football, wrestling, ice hockey, mixed martial arts, rugby and soccer. Other risk factors include being in the military, prior domestic violence, and repeated banging of the head. The exact amount of trauma required for the condition to occur is unknown. Below is a list of notable cases of CTE in sports.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Chris Nowinski". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2007.
  2. 1 2 3 "Statistics for Professional wrestlers". PWI Presents: 2002 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts. Kappa Publications. pp. 62–74. 2000 Edition.
  3. 1 2 Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. DK. p.  63. ISBN   978-0-7566-4190-0.
  4. ↑ "Campus and Alumni News - Head Games" (PDF). No. Summer 2010. Boston University School of Medicine. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "WWF wrestler will get in the ring with literature Sunday". Daily Herald . November 20, 2001. p. 109. Retrieved January 17, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Potter, Will (March 14, 2003). "Harvard Man". The Chronicle of Higher Education . Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  7. ↑ "MEET CHRIS | Chris Nowinski". Archived from the original on March 25, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 Morris, Alex (September 9, 2023). "They Played Football as Children. Now Their Families Mourn". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  9. 1 2 Constable, Al. "Squared Circle: Who Was Really Tough Enough?". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on June 28, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  10. ↑ Hohler, Bob. "Ex-wrestlers say one of their own sells them short - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  11. ↑ Philip Kreikenbohm. "FWA Lights Camera Action". Cagematch.net. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  12. ↑ "ChrisHarvard.net: Previous Ask Chris Questions". Chrisharvard.net. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  13. ↑ "The SmarK RAW Rant – June 17 2002". 411Mania. Archived from the original on June 28, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  14. ↑ "The SmarK RAW Rant – June 24 2002". 411Mania. Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  15. ↑ "The SmarK RAW Rant – July 8 2002". 411Mania. Archived from the original on June 28, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Chris Nowinski during 2002". The Internet Wrestling Database. 2002. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  17. ↑ Barrett, Michael (January 13, 2003). "Full WWE RAW Results - 1/13/03 (Vince makes an announcement)". WrestleView. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Events Database - WWE Raw House Show". Cage Match. Retrieved October 13, 2024. 12.7.2003
  19. ↑ "Dead athletes' brains show damage from concussions". CNN. January 27, 2009. Archived from the original on January 7, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  20. ↑ Nowinski, Christopher (October 1, 2006). Head Games : Football's Concussion Crisis from the NFL to Youth Leagues (1st ed.). Drummond Pub. Group. ISBN   978-1597630139.
  21. ↑ Ranscombe, Peter (July 2012). "Head Games" (PDF). The Lancet. 11 (Neurology): 577. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(12)70150-3. S2CID   54399914. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Pathologist says Waters' brain tissue had deteriorated". ESPN. January 18, 2007. Archived from the original on October 26, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  23. ↑ Schwarz, Alan (January 18, 2007). "Expert Ties Ex-Player's Suicide to Brain Damage". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 26, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Lineman dead at 36". Nflretirees.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on November 2, 2007. Retrieved September 5, 2007.
  25. ↑ Schwarz, Alan (June 15, 2007). "Lineman, Dead at 36, Exposes Brain Injuries". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  26. ↑ Finder, Chuck (October 31, 2004). "What drove Justin Strzelczyk to his death?". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on August 22, 2007. Retrieved June 17, 2007.
  27. ↑ MacMullan, Jackie (February 2, 2007). "I don't want anyone to end up like me". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on October 9, 2007. Retrieved December 12, 2007.
  28. 1 2 Chris Beniot murder-suicide full documentary, no commercials , retrieved May 1, 2021
  29. ↑ Brenda Goodman (June 26, 2007). "Wrestler Killed Wife and Son, Then Himself". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 16, 2009. Retrieved June 26, 2007.
  30. ↑ "Campus and Alumni News" (PDF). No. Summer 2010. Boston University School of Medicine. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  31. ↑ "U.S. Women's Soccer Stars Take Lead on Risks of Heading". The New York Times . June 24, 2014. Archived from the original on January 25, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  32. ↑ "A Blow to the Brain". CBS News. October 11, 2009. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  33. ↑ "The Frontline Interviews - League of Denial: Football's Concussion Crisis". Public Broadcasting Service. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  34. ↑ Andrew, Scottie (October 11, 2019). "New PSA warns parents to avoid youth tackle football by comparing it to smoking". CNN. CNN. Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  35. ↑ Good, Chris (August 19, 2010). "Former Wrestler: McMahon 'Kicking Dirt on the Grave' of Lance Cade". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  36. ↑ "Sports Legacy Institute Announces Rebrand to Concussion Legacy Foundation". Bartlett. Archived from the original on December 10, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  37. ↑ Hockey News, vol. 64, no. January 14, 17, 2011, p. 25
  38. ↑ Dawson, Alan. "A slap fighter 'could kill people on a regular basis with enough practice,' neuroscientist says". Business Insider. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  39. ↑ Hruby, Patrick (January 23, 2015). "The WWE Concussion Lawsuit Is Cheap Heat". Vice. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  40. ↑ Torre, Pablo (November 19, 2010). "My Sportsman: Chris Nowinski". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  41. ↑ "Leading Concussion Education Advocate Dr. Chris Nowinski Earns United States Sports Academy's 2019 Ernst Jokl Sports Medicine Award". The United States Sports Academy. October 15, 2019. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  42. ↑ "AB Salutes Industry Difference-Makers". The Athletic Business Journal. December 2018. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  43. ↑ "40 Under 40: Chris Nowinski". The Boston Business Journal. October 19, 2017. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  44. ↑ "Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  45. ↑ "President's Medallion Recipients - Western New England". www1.wne.edu. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  46. ↑ "HL20: CHRIS NOWINSKI—COLLECTING BRAINS, COMBATING CONCUSSIONS". HealthLeaders. December 13, 2011. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  47. ↑ Torre, Pablo (November 19, 2010). "Former WWE wrestler Chris Nowinski becomes leading figure in head trauma research". Sports Illustrated. Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  48. ↑ Lazzara, Gina (October 27, 2010). "Brain Injury Association of Illinois Awards Dinner Sponsored by Nolan Law Group". Nolan Law Group. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  49. ↑ "WWE Hardcore Championship history". Wwe.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2012. Retrieved October 26, 2014.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.