In the last two or three years, the awareness of concussions has increased tremendously with the injury affecting so many athletes in the sport of football.

The hard licks that football players take to their heads in practices and games increases the risk of problems with the human mind as time goes on.

The NFL has had several studies done to see the affects of concussions on their players and how it has hurt those who have retired from the sport.

The League has even taken measures to limit the chances of concussions by penalizing players for specific hits to the head and how players approach one another for a tackle.

Those penalties that not only include flags in a game, but fines have drawn the ire of one player in specific, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison, who plays hard every play and has caused some concussions in his time in the NFL.

Concussions even ended a careers for two Super Bowl winners in Troy Aikman and Steve Young. I remember the concussion that sent Aikman into retirement. The injury came from a hit by Redskins linebacker Lavar Arrington.

T.R. Miller is using a new test to watch their players and make sure they are not playing with concussions if they sustain a head injury.

It’s a great idea and a great program to begin and maybe area schools will soon get the chance to have the program as well.

Having the right personnel is important to run the test and if the chance comes, the schools should take the chance to see if they could fit a full-time athletic trainer in the budget.

It would help keep the players safer and put a true medical professional in control when a concussion might happen on the field.

The players safety is what is important and really if the money could be used to help them stay safe then it could be worth it.

Chandler Myers is sports editor of the Atmore Advance. He can be reached at 368-2123 or by e-mail at sports@atmoreadvance.com