[jwplatform gnmGTTUk]
The powerful trailer for Will Smith’s upcoming film, Concussion, released today. Smith will portray a Nigerian doctor who discovered that head trauma in NFL players can result in mental illness.
The film is based off the 2009 GQ article, Game Brain: Football Players and Concussions, which discussed the findings of Smith’s character, Dr. Bennet Omalu. The Nigerian forensic pathologist and neuropathologist examined the brain of Mike Webster, who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and died from a heart attack in 2002. Omalu found that after multiple hits to the head during Webster’s career, the former player suffered from depression, amnesia, and dementia due to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative disease.
Webster was the first pro-football player to be diagnosed with the disease, and upon examining the brain of more NFL players, Omalu found that the illness was prevalent in others as well. The NFL was unwilling to acknowledge that players were at risk of this disease and was resistant in assisting players with disability fees.
Concussion is likely to attract some unwanted attention to the NFL by highlighting the dangers of playing pro-football. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk revealed that according to NFL sources, the league’s owners have “spent significant time” in meetings discussing how they will respond to the film.
Alec Baldwin, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Paul Reiser, and Luke Wilson also star in the upcoming sports drama. The film is scheduled to release on Christmas.
