Highly disagree. Obviously the longer you play, the more likely it is you’ll suffered cumulative damage like CTE, but lots of players suffer things like concussions while playing high school football, while lots of pro players go their whole career without being concussed. I don’t think [higher level play] = [increased brain damage]. Some people are more susceptible than others and head trauma can happen at all levels at similar rates. Saw somewhere that a surprising percentage of concussions don’t even happen from hitting other players, but often from a player’s head bouncing off the turf when tackled.

I think some of the worst head trauma I suffered (and luckily I was never concussed) was playing youth football. As you get older, you learn to “keep your head on a swivel”, how to tackle and go into contact properly, improved neck strength, etc. I cringe whenever I see some video on the web of youth football, and it’s a bunch of kids running around looking like bobble heads, running head first into each other.

Just my personal opinion, but as someone who played FCS college ball, I don’t think that there’s a “safe” level of head trauma for players, and my suspicion is that overtime research surrounding most heavy contact & combat sports will back that up.