Former NFL player Merril Hoge challenges everything we thought we knew about CTE in explosive new book, Brainwashed: The Bad Science Behind CTE and the Plot to Destroy Football

News provided by

Oct 23, 2018, 08:54 ET

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Merril Hoge played in the NFL for nearly a decade before two major concussions and poor medical supervision ended his football career. During his long and difficult recovery, Hoge watched as stories of former players claiming that head trauma caused health issues later in life came to dominate the news cycle. When these stories spiraled into calls to ban youth football, Hoge began researching. In his quest to learn more, he found board-certified forensic neuropathologist Dr. Peter Cummings, one of the first doctors to publicly defend the sport. Although headlines proclaim CTE an epidemic among athletes, Hoge and Dr. Cummings noticed discrepancies in the research. How much do we really know about what causes CTE, and how much of what's reported is based on solid, replicable science?

Brainwashed: The Bad Science Behind CTE and the Plot to Destroy Football (Amplify, an imprint of Mascot Books, October 23, 2018) is a revelatory exploration of the hidden agendas and misinformation fueling the CTE hysteria machine. Armed with extensive research, critical insight, and expert interviews, Hoge and Dr. Cummings address three of the most common myths surrounding CTE, examining significant flaws in the often-cited studies and exposing the sensationalistic reporting that dominates today's CTE dialogue.

Since his NFL retirement, Hoge has been a fierce advocate for player safety as an NFL alumnus, ESPN broadcaster, and youth football coach. He testified at a congressional hearing on football head injuries in 2009, became a member of the NFL Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee in 2010, and worked with USA football to develop the Heads Up Safety Protocol, which teaches coaches safe playing techniques for athletes at all levels. "The panic among parents, legislators, and the general public is getting worse," Hoge writes. "Nobody else will speak out, but I have insight and evidence on this story that few people have. I hope Brainwashed will encourage those who have been reluctant to speak out to finally make their voices heard."

Merril Hoge and Dr. Peter Cummings are available for interviews and appearances. For additional information, visit brainwashedbook.com or contact Kristin Perry at 703-376-8247 or [email protected].

SOURCE Amplify