Andrea Kremer, NFL Network’s health and safety chief correspondent, outlined Thursday the Sports Legacy Institute’s goal of banning all offseason, full-contact high school football practices. Such workouts already are prohibited in 21 states, but the advocacy group hopes to have them barred in the remaining 29. The belief is that the elimination of the practices could reduce concussions in high school football by nearly 25 percent.

The institute pointed out that the NFL made similar changes last season and believes those changes should work their way down to youth levels.

Additionally, there is hope that the Lystedt Law can be adopted in all 50 states. The statute requires that all athletes under the age of 18 who have been suspected of suffering a concussion must consult with a medical professional before returning to play. Currently the law is in effect in 42 states, plus the District of Columbia.

– Marcas Grant, contributing editor