Bonus Podcast: Rachael Hearn on Tua Tagovailoa
Sep 30, 2022, 01:49 PM
After watching the disturbing scenes on Thursday Night Football, Ollie Connolly called up athletic trainer and CTE researcher, Rachael Hearn, to discuss:
- The NFL’s concussion protocol
- Diagnosing concussions
- What it means for the Dolphins to have diagnosed a back injury rather than a head injury last Sunday
- The feasibility of completing the protocol in two-to-four days
- The role of the team physician, the training staff, and the independent neurologist
- What is second impact syndrome — and what does that mean for Tua?
- The fencing response
- What happens next
- The state of the NFL’s protocols
- Legal liabilities
- What the NFL & NFLPA will be looking for in their investigation
- The differences between linear and rotational concussive forces
- The issues with concussion and CTE research — and what needs to change
- A whole bunch more
A quick note: Ollie's audio makes him sound like a robot on this one! Fortunately, Rachael is the one doing the talking. If you have any questions related to concussion or medical/training staff protocols, let us know, and we put them to Rachael on a future podcast after the findings of the Tagovailoa investigation have been disclosed. You can message us at @Gridiron on Twitter.