Warren Sapp to donate his brain to concussion research

TAMPA — Since being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot four years ago, Warren Sapp has traveled each August to Canton, Ohio, to join the game's greats returning for induction ceremonies. But with each passing year, it seemed too many of his fellow NFL players were in failing health and slipping further into a fog as a result of head injuries sustained during their careers."I said, 'I can't do this. I can't stay on the sideline and watch Tony Dorsett and Willie Brown and all the great ones deteriorate before my eyes,' " Sapp told the Tampa Bay Times on Tuesday.

That why the 44-year-old former defensive tackle, one of the most successful players in Bucs history, announced Tuesday that he is pledging his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation and is advocating to eliminate youth tackle football until players are in high school.

In a first-person story and three-minute video at the Players' Tribune, Sapp detailed some of his own problems with memory loss and says he needs to set reminders on his phone for everyday activities because he can't remember things the way he used to.

Sapp said he was motivated to speak out after reading quotes from NFL owners denying a connection between football and concussions, CTE and suicide.

Read more: http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/warren-sapp-to-donate-his-brain-to-concussion-research/2327891