Jim McMahon and Jeremy Roenick trying to raise concussion awareness

Former pro athletes Jim McMahon and Jeremy Roenick, both of whom suffered concussions during their careers, have teamed to form a new group to raise awareness about the dangers of concussions at all levels of sports.

"I wanted to get my friends in the sports world together, because I think it's a more powerful message coming from professional athletes,'' said former Bears quarterback McMahon, who heads the "Players Against Concussions'' foundation.

PAC will sponsor several events and has formed three advisory boards that include leaders in youth sports, research and medicine, and current and former pro athletes. The organization began its mission on Monday at a celebrity golf event at Pelham Country Club in Westchester.

"From little league on up, there's been such a big wave of head and neck trauma,'' McMahon said. "The goal of PAC is to keep athletes of all ages playing the sports they love, but without having to risk the lifelong debilitating effects of head injuries.''

McMahon suffered several concussions during his career and has had some memory loss. Neck problems also contributed to years of pain. He hopes PAC can raise money to pay for baseline MRIs for athletes so if they do suffer concussions, follow-up imaging tests can detect whether there are any abnormalities.

"We want to raise funds where we can help people who can't travel, or can't afford to get these tests, to come get the treatments they need,'' he said.

Roenick, now a hockey analyst at NBC Sports Network, was a 20-year NHL veteran who played for five teams, including the Chicago Blackhawks and the Phoenix Coyotes. He, too, suffered concussions, but he believes the increased awareness of the problem has helped address the problems facing today's athletes.

"We thought it would be good to start giving back and start helping in the concussion aspect because it's such a big epidemic, especially in pro sports with football and hockey,'' Roenick said. "It's trying to educate the kids, educate the coaches of these youth programs, and the parents. You're not going to prevent concussions. But the better you treat them when they first happen, the better you're going to be in the long run. Unfortunately, it's the lack of education that causes people to have problems later in life.''

McMahon and Roenick believe officials in both of their sports generally are doing good work in addressing concussion problems. But both would like to see further research on concussions.

"I think it's much better now in football,'' McMahon said. "They're taking steps to protect the players and take players out of action if they've had a concussion.''

Roenick said the NHL is "doing as much as they possibly can. They're not going to get rid of the concussions, but I think they've really cracked down, suspending guys that have [delivered] hits to the head. Any kind of contact to the head, there is no tolerance. They're definitely watching their players a lot closer than they used to.''

But Roenick doesn't think fighting, which can cause concussions, should be eliminated.

"I think fighting is down dramatically,'' he said. "You don't see the goons in the game anymore, but it's such a physical sport, such an angry sport. I don't know how you can take [fighting] out. I think if you did, there would be more injuries in other aspects.''

By Bob Glauber

Special to NewsdayBobGlauber

Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”