Former Seahawk will donate his brain to science
Mar 3, 2015, 7:41 AM | Updated: 10:04 am
Former Seahawks wide receiver Sidney Rice said he’s suffered at least 10 concussions, and he wants researchers to see what that has done to his brain.
Rice, along with Giants punter Steve Weatherford, told Fox & Friends Tuesday that they planned to donate their brains to science.
“I think the first (concussion) was when I was 8 years old, going around the edge, hit a kid head-on,” described Rice. “It was the first time I ever saw stars, aside from the cartoon shows.”
Rice, 28, said that when he entered the NFL in 2007, people weren’t paying close attention to concussions yet.
“Guys would get hurt, get a concussion and go right back in the game,” he said. “Now they have to go through a lot more steps, a lot more tests before they get out on the field. You see it all the time, every week. They’re making steps, making the strides to make it a better league.”
When asked if Rice would let his children play football, he responded, “They’re taking tremendous strides to get better, so by the time that comes along, I’ll let them play but hopefully it will be a lot safer than it is now.”
Rice retired from the NFL in 2014, at age 27. The decision came from a concern over his history of concussions. He was placed on injured reserve midway through the 2011 season after suffering two concussions in the span of three games.
