ABSTRACT
The National Football League (NFL) was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Conference. The NFL serves as a unifying and independent body that “governs and promotes the game of football, sets and enforces rules, and regulates team ownership,” in cooperation with team owners and executive staff. The NFL’s response to the issue of traumatic brain injuries originates from a number of different offices within the Corporate Headquarters. The National Football League Players’ Association (NFLPA) is the labor organization representing professional football players in the NFL. The NFLPA typically represents the players in contract negotiations, as well as disputes between players and their respective teams. In 1994, the NFL created the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury committee to study the short- and long-term effects of head trauma on the lives of football players. Former players diagnosed with head trauma-related illnesses are eligible for different tiers of monetary awards from the settlement.
