A new plan in Illinois aims to end youth tackle football programs, and it bears the name of Dave Duerson, a 1985 Chicago Bear who killed himself.
The proposed law bans tackle football for children under 12 throughout the state, with the goal of preventing CTE, a degenerative disease of the brain caused by repetitive brain trauma.
Tregg Duerson, Dave’s son, says his father shot himself in the chest so that his brain could be studied.
“When I look at my father’s action of donating his brain in the very last moments of his life, that was someone who was trying to be helpful and trying to be part of the solution to the greater problem of concussions and brain trauma.”
Research proved Duerson had CTE, and a recent study found CTE in 110 out of 111 deceased NFL players whose brains were analyzed. If approved Illinois would be the first state to ban youth tackle football.