NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith today discussed the effort by Northwestern Univ. players to unionize: “My hat's off to the players at Northwestern, and indeed their quarterback Kain Colter. I’m not sure if I’ve met a young man who is as brave or has the vision of Kain Colter.” Smith, when asked if college players will soon be paid, said, “I don’t know. Whether that happens or not, the real critical question is what is the best way for college athletes to protect their rights, and that’s always going to be through collective action.”
Smith was asked whether NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL team owners are adequately addressing the concussion issue. He said, “My job is to never be satisfied about where we are with the issue of players' health. ... The question we ask ourselves is, ‘Are there things we can do to make our players safer?’ And the answer is yes. Are there things tomorrow that we’re not doing today? Yes. ... We need to move to a world where if our player is hurt, he gets treated” (“CBS This Morning,” 1/29).
