It’s difficult to believe now, but concussion awareness was a thing even before Dr. Bennet Omalu came to the United States.
During the early 1990s, you didn’t have to say “please” to get super-agent Leigh Steinberg to address the risks faced by his oft-concussed super-clients, quarterbacks Steve Young of the 49ers and Troy Aikman of the Cowboys. This at a time when Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach and Jets receiver Al Toon had been famously chased from the game after multiple concussive events.
Decorated Bills quarterback Jim Kelly could blithely shake off a “minor” concussion by saying he’d had four others in which he was “knocked cold.