Congressman Cohen Calls on Professional and College Football Programs to Protect Against Brain Injuries

Image October 30, 2026 Press Release Questioned motives of professional team owners at a hearing in 2009 WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a co-chairman of the Congressional Collegiate Sports Caucus long concerned about traumatic brain injuries in football, released the following statement after recent high-profile injuries: “Both professional and college football have known for decades about the risks of traumatic brain injuries. There should be increased penalties for players who hit others in the head as happened to Dante Moore with his season-ending concussion. The situation needs to be remedied, not just talked about.  I called upon NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to take the issue more seriously at a hearing on the subject at the Judiciary Committee in 2009. These injuries reflect a cultural insensitivity that must be addressed. “Yesterday’s article in The New York Times demonstrates how much more work needs to be done.  We cannot let this fall off the radar.  I urge the Judiciary Committee to convene a follow-up hearing when we return after the elections, and I urge the next Congress to create a select committee to investigate this issue.” Congressman Cohen, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, questioned Commissioner Godell at a hearing entitled “Legal Issues Relating to Football Head Injuries” called by its then-Chairman John Conyers of Michigan in October of 2009, and later participated in a field hearing in Detroit on the same subject. He has been a staunch advocate of safety measures in sports for his entire career. # # # Issues : Health Care Shelby County Tennessee