title: Accelerating progress on the road to safer sports: based on remarks of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in the Neurosurgical Society of America (NSA) medal lecture.
abstract: Roger Goodell was invited by the Neurosurgical Society of America (NSA) to give the keynote speech as the NSA Medalist 2013. As President of the NSA, and Co-Chairs of the National Football league's Head Neck and Spine Committee, we provided the introduction for Goodell. He was cited for his tireless advocacy on behalf of professional and student athletes. We noted that the National Football League has been a world leader in funding traumatic brain injury research and a catalyst for safety in youth and professional sports. Mr Goodell's national leadership in thinking and acting boldly on the subject of traumatic brain injury prevention and treatment was the primary motivation for awarding him the NSA medal. What follows is a transcript of his NSA Medal Lecture to the Neurosurgical Society of America.
authors.affiliation: *National Football League, Commissioner's Office, New York, New York; ‡Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; §Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goodell
authors.forename: H Hunt
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Batjer
authors.forename: Richard G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Ellenbogen
mesh_terms: D056352:Athletes; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001363:Awards and Prizes; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005538:Football / Q000293:injuries* / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012952:Societies