Former Cowboys FB weighs in on concussions

FRISCO, Texas — Former Cowboys fullback Daryl "Moose" Johnston is not one of the growing number of former NFL players to file a lawsuit against the league over its handling of concussions.

Johnston has chosen a different path to raise awareness about arguably the biggest problem in the NFL today.

Speaking before Emmitt Smith's celebrity dinner Friday night, which honored the Cowboys' 1992 Super Bowl team, Johnston discussed the importance of being proactive and seeking medical examination to monitor retired players.

Taking the problem to the court room was not one of his suggestions.

"I think we all knew the dangers when we decided to play this game," said Johnston, a FOX Sports NFL analyst. "I don't think the NFL ever hid anything from anybody."

One of Johnston's 1992 teammates, defensive lineman Chad Hennings, a graduate of the Air Force Academy, compared the risk of concussions in the NFL to the chances a fighter pilot takes in battle.

"Listen, when I get into a jet they don't have to tell me I may get shot down and I may have to eject," Hennings told Johnston. "It's part of the process of being a jet fighter pilot."

Like Hennings, Johnston, who had his 11-year career prematurely come to an end in 1999 because of neck injuries, understood the risks when he strapped on his football helmet.

While Johnston said that he understands "that there are some guys that are in tough shape right now," his hope is that the lawsuits aren't just about getting paid.

"I don't want that to be lost through the course of this lawsuit because these are class-action lawsuits based by the guys that did asbestos, based by the guys that did tobacco," Johnston said. "They're going to get a lot of money if they win these lawsuits. They have other reasons to be in this. I hope some of them have genuine concern for the players that they're representing."

Johnston's aim at being proactive includes following in his footsteps and getting evaluated at a place like The Center for BrainHealth in Dallas. According to Johnston, there are over 40 players that have been traveling to the center to get a scan and "very intense diagnostic test."

Johnston's goal is to have baseline testing performed on as many players as possible. The belief is that after having the initial exam, a player can return regularly to monitor the health of their brain.

"We've got to get in, we've got to help these guys," Johnston said. "There's a lot of information out there. We could be doing things right now to be proactive to make sure that the quality of their lives is as good as it can be down the stretch.

"We can't continue to lose people like Junior Seau, if that was the reason why he decided to take his life, (and) Dave Duerson. We can't continue to lose guys in their 40s and 50s. There's warning signs out there. We've got to stay on top of this. We've got to do a better job of taking care of each other.

"In our communities, when you're around the retired guys, if you see any issues, we've got to have places to get them to. We've got to have more communication in our entire community about where to help these guys, where to get them to.

"These are the guys that built the game. They're the reason these guys are making $20 million a year when the season's done."


Follow Jon Machota on Twitter: @jonmachota