The doctor who first discovered and published findings on CTE after studying the brains of former NFL players is applauding Gisele Bundchen for speaking publicly about her husband Tom Brady’s alleged head injuries.
Dr. Bennet Omalu, whose work inspired the film “Concussion,” told TMZ that Gisele should be considered an “angel of love” for revealing that Brady has suffered concussions.
“I think I would even go beyond calling her heroic. She’s an angel, an angel of truth and an angel of love,” Omalu said. “We should not be afraid of the truth because of the inconvenience of the truth. When we embrace the truth, just like Gisele has done, the truth is empowering and enlightening. So she is my hero.”
In an interview that aired Wednesday, Gisele said Brady suffered a concussion last season and indicated he has had multiple throughout his career. Brady has never been listed on the injury report with a concussion, and the NFL said in a statement that there is no record of him sustaining one in 2016.
If the Patriots knew about Brady having a concussion or concussion-like symptoms and didn’t report it, they could be in some trouble. However, Omalu says significant head injuries aren’t always concussions.
“As long as your head is being exposed to repeated impact, you can suffer brain damage without even suffering one concussion,” Omalu said. “Mike Webster never suffered a concussion in the 17 years he played. The issue is not about concussions. Has Tom Brady received thousands of blows to his head over the last two or three years? Of course he has. Does a helmet totally eradicate the risk of brain damage? No, it doesn’t. People need to know that.”
Gisele has created awkwardness for Brady in the past with comments she made, but the latest issue is part of a much larger picture. Omalu has been preaching that for years.
