Cardinals receiver and special teams player Sean Morey is one of three NFL players who on Monday agreed to donate their brains after death to a Boston University medical school program that studies sports brain injuries.
The other two NFL players donated their brains and spinal cord tissue to the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy's program are Ravens center Matt Birk and Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu. They join more than 150 former athletes, including 40 retired NFL players, who already are in the program's brain-donation registry.
"There are a lot of dedicated people both in the NFL and the Players Association along with trainers that understand and recognize and manage concussions properly," Morey said. "But I think we fall short of educating players and helping players understand the serious, long-term effects of concussions.
"I just felt it was part of my duty as a member of the Players Association and as an active player to try and create awareness for all athletes at all levels."
The center's goal is to better understand the long-term effects of repeated concussions.
"When you are active, your contract, what you get paid, is based on the perception of your health, and no player wants to be perceived as being prone to concussions," said Chris Nowinski, the center's co-director. "That's why I am so impressed with these guys. I hope they are the first of many."
Doctors see sports-related brain trauma as a growing health crisis due to the discovery of the neurodegenerative disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy in a number of athletes who have recently died. The condition is caused by repetitive trauma to the brain.
Sufferers may experience memory loss, emotional instability, erratic behavior, depression and impulse control problems, progressing eventually to full-blown dementia.
The center was created in 2008 as a collaborative venture between BU Medical School and Sports Legacy Institute.