Former NFL running back Dorsey Levens, who won a Super Bowl ring with the Packers in 1996, has been working on a documentary regarding concussions. After 18 months, his work is nearly completed, in the form of a film entitled Bell Rung.
Levens tells D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution that the effort has created plenty of stress.
“I didn’t sign up for this,” Levens said. “Now, guys think like I’m the official spokesperson for concussions in the NFL. That’s far from the truth. I’ve just been doing some interviews and letting people know about the documentary. However, I do know a lot about the issue.”
He interviewed 35 former players for the documentary, and he now has players who look to him for help with the consequences of a career of concussions. Per Ledbetter, one unnamed player recently called Levens to talk “about his persistent headaches, how he couldn’t afford treatment and how he didn’t plan to continue living if he didn’t get treatment.”
“I’m all for helping guys, don’t get me wrong,” Levens said. “But this is a lot.”
And while Levens is one of the many former players who have sued the NFL for concussions, he’s more focused on trying to improving the lives of the men who have suffered these injuries.
“My goal is not to worry about the legalities of it,” Levens said. “My goal is to let people know what’s going on and to get guys help. I could care less about the case.”
And while the concussion cases could help continue to force the NFL to find ways to make the game safer, they won’t do all that much to make things better for the players who already are suffering from the effects of concussions.