Chris Nowinski is a co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University School of Medicine and the co-founder and CEO of the Sports Legacy Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to solve the sports concussion crisis.
A former All-Ivy Harvard football player and WWE professional wrestler, he was forced to retire from a series of concussions in 2003. His challenging recovery from post-concussion syndrome led him to write the book Head Games: Football’s Concussion Crisis, published in 2006, in an effort to educate parents, coaches, and children about this previously hidden public health issue. Mr. Nowinski serves on the National Football League Players Association Mackey/White TBI Committee, where he is co-chair of the Education & Awareness Committee, and on the board of directors of the Brain Injury Association of America.
He was a finalist for Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 2010, named a 2011 Eisenhower Fellow, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience at Boston University School of Medicine.
The film version of Nowsinski's book, Head Games, the Film, was released in September 2012.