Dale Earnhardt Jr. together with baseball catcher David Ross is the main ambassador for the Sports Medicine Concussion Program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Both athletes were treated by Dr. Micky Collins, the clinical and executive director of the Concussion Program.
The UPMC has launched their official website ReThinkConcussions.com that discusses issues with concussion.
Earnhardt is all too aware of this. His issues with concussion started in August 2012 when he crashed during a test at Kansas.
His team radioed him asking if he was alright and there he knew he wasn't.
He said "As soon as I got out of the car, I was like, 'Something is wrong with my head again. I was really moody, very angry, I couldn't go anywhere where people were. I was very scared."
He was forced not to play for two races and had himself treated in UPMC. That incident triggered NASCAR to require baseline concussion tests for all drivers this season. Drivers were urged to get an Impact test before the 2013 season as NASCAR worked to implement the rule on baseline testing.
On the other hand, Ross suffered a concussion when he was struck in the helmet with a foul ball in 2013. During the same day at his son's birthday party, he felt "foggy and seasick" and even his wife noticed his lack of interest.
He had to take a few days off from playing but when he returned he felt different. He said "f you don't know what a concussion is and what you're looking for, you are just going to keep trying to trick yourself."
Aside from both Earnhardt and Ross, other pro athlete will also be featured in the website including quarterback Brady Quinn, second baseman Brian Roberts and Tyler Hansbrough of the NBA.
According to Collin "An important reality is this: concussion is treatable if managed properly. That should be the conversation now instead of the near-hysteria. People should think of concussions as a treatable injury in the right hands, not some untreatable condition that causes you to retreat to a dark room."
Indeed health is very important, thus athlete should be more aware of any health issues that may affect them.
