I want to create a curriculum beginning with kindergarten about the brain. It will have a character. This character will be obnoxiously cheesy and the kids will remember him for the rest of their lives. He will have an obnoxious jingle that sticks with you forever too. Why? Because it has to stick FOREVER. Why kindergarteners? I believe that we have to give these kids the knowledge of the brain before they get the taste of victory or success after a head knock on the playing field. If they get a full school year and hopefully more through public education television efforts of a brain education effort by the time they get to the playing field they will be “brain aware”. Not experts, but at least aware of something in their heads. If they get hurt they will know they should tell an adult and hopefully they will educate the adult with their new knowledge that they should now rest for a bit. Then the following year it is a K-1 then K, 1, 2 and so on until we have a K-12. Why do I want it done this way? I want it to be a generational change that is paced by one class of leaders which will be our first class of graduates. After that we will have future educators, athletic directors, parents, coaches, law makers, and commissioners who now have the knowledge that we have been lacking for so long. It will take time but it can be done. I compare this to the mind shift of the tobacco industry when the push was to get everyone to stop smoking. It took time and took shifting the mindset of an entire generation and it worked!
Concurrently, I want another division of the foundation working on the mental health aspect of CTE, PTSD, and first responder mental health and crisis support. I am hoping to develop an app that will allow first responders to communicate with a mental health professional in times of a mental health crisis.
I want to personally be out speaking to the youth and their families wherever and whenever I can. This disease chose me for a reason and that reason is that I am the perfect face for it. When people hear CTE they automatically think NFL or “what is that”? I am here to show people that a normal kid from San Jose, Ca who grew up to be a cop and fireman after playing high school sports can also suffer the same fate. I can deliver that message in very effective way and in a way that is going to stick and it will change minds and make people think twice before they take risks with their brains. That’s why I am on this mission. I am okay with CTE. I don’t know why I got it but I am going to do everything in my power to make sure others minimize their chances of suffering the same fate. I want Vanessa and I to travel to high schools, churches, and anywhere else that will host me and let me tell my story. I will try to bring a local athlete with me. I am going to build this foundation with the help of other pro athletes. Fortunately, I am connected in that arena and I plan on leveraging those relationships when possible.
Lastly, but just as important I want to work with the NFLPA and the NFL Alumni Association to create a crisis line for current and former players and family to be able to call 24/7 and speak to a mental health crisis counselor that is familiar with CTE and can also get them assistance from their team if they are current and from an alumni network if they are retired. This is a community and we can’t leave these guys to suffer alone. They didn’t get eh disease alone and they can’t be thrown aside alone. We will do the same for first responders.