Bonus Podcast: Rachael Hearn on Tua Tagovailoa

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.