EDITORS NOTE: This story was originally published on Nov. 19.
A New York Jets wide receiver told The New York Daily News that he is pulling his 8-year-old son out of football due to concerns over chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Jeremy Kerley, a seven-year veteran in the NFL, told the newspaper in a story published Saturday that his son, Dae’shon, has complained of headaches after football practice and Kerley has decided to pull him out of tackle football.
"At the end of the day, a father makes a decision based on the health and well-being of his children,” Kerley told The New York Daily News. "That’s what he’s supposed to do. Just because I play football doesn’t mean that you should too. I’m looking out for his best interest.
"I’ve lived and learned this game is brutal. This game can hurt you. CTE can hurt you. If I can prevent him from that, that’s what I’m going to do."
Kerley's comments come just a few days after researchers confirmed the discovery of CTE in a living person — former Minnesota Vikings linebacker Fred McNeill — for the first time, which represented a major breakthrough in the field. A study published last summer found evidence of CTE, a degenerative brain disease, in 110 of 111 former NFL players who donated their brains for research.
Kerley said he and his wife will encourage their son to play other sports like baseball, basketball, soccer and track, adding that Dae'shon will be able to make his own decisions about football when he's older.
"But right now, I can prevent him from playing, so I definitely will," Kerley told The New York Daily News.
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.
