BENGALS HIGH 5: Q&A WITH ERIC WINSTON
As the NFL continues to work toward reducing concussions and medical professionals attempt to answer questions about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), Cincinnati Bengals tackle and NFL Players Association president Eric Winston recently announced he is pledging his brain to scientific research.
Friday’s release of “Concussion” — the movie that stars Will Smith as Dr. Bennett Omalu, the neuropathologist who examined the brains of deceased NFL players and was the first to publish findings on CTE — has renewed interest on the topic.
Winston talked about his decision to donate his brain to science for this week’s Bengals High 5:
Q: What brought you to the decision to donate your brain to science?
A: I’ve been on the list for a while now, for two or three years at least. It just got publicized. Chris Nowinski (the former pro wrestler who is the founding executive director of the Sports Legacy Institute) had called me up and asked me to do my legacy campaign. So it wasn’t something I decided yesterday.
Q: Was it something you had to put a lot of thought into or was it, pardon the expression, a no-brainer?
A: A little bit of both. I’m already an organ donor. If I don’t need it and it can do some good for somebody else, I’m all for it. I wouldn’t say that I was thinking about it for a long time. I thought it would be a good idea. This is something that I think can help. My goal has always been to leave this place a little bit better than I found it. Whether that’s with the P.A. (NFL Players Association), whether that’s in the league, whether that’s helping the young guys, it’s something I’ve always held true to. So if leaving my brain can help the next generation of players, that’s great. I’m still hoping to get another 50 or 60 years out of it, so hopefully we’ll have some answers by then and they won’t need it.
Q: You’ve showed no signs of CTE, but is it something that’s always in the back of your mind?
A: Oh, sure. What we all know now, you can’t help but think, ‘Gosh, I wonder if that’s going to be me in 20 years, or 30 years, or something like that.’ At the same time, I really hope that the science can show the drastic changes we’ve made over the last five years will make a difference. I think there’s a large host of reasons that I think it’s good for a lot of the guys, even if you’re not showing symptoms, to donate your brain.
Q: Is that something you think you’ll advocate, because it is personal decision and can be a touchy subject with some religions?
A: It’s a very personal decision. If anybody asks me, I’ll tell them what I thought. But at the same time, I’ve never been a salesman. I’ve never been comfortable asking guys to donate money to things. I’ve never been comfortable even asking somebody for an autograph. I definitely won’t be telling guys they need to do this. But if anybody ever asks me about it, I’d definitely sit down and talk with them.
Q: Was there a former player, say Junior Seau, who inspired you to do this?
A: No, I had done it even before Junior’s passing (in 2012). Like I said, it’s just something that’s been publicized recently. The response has been positive. I’ve gotten a lot of text messages and direct messages on Twitter. Hopefully it’s sparking other guys to think about it as well.