Taylor Twellman was at the peak of his career with the New England Revolution in 2008 before one hit to the head changed the trajectory of his career.
Now, the former soccer star sending a message to Tua Tagovailoa, who is set to return to the NFL after suffering multiple concussions. Twellman went up for a ball with before colliding with the Los Angeles Galaxy goalkeeper, being knocked out and suffering serious neck and head injuries. While he had struggled with whiplash for several weeks, it had been the concussion that had severe effects on him – struggling for months before deciding to walk away from the game.
The former USMNT striker has since gone on to raise awareness on the dangers of concussions, creating the THINKTaylor foundation. Twellman has agreed to donate his brain to science after death, having it be studied and to determine whether his concussions – with him believed to have suffered multiple – have caused permanent harm to his brain.
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This week, it was announced that the Miami Dolphins will be starting Tagovailoa, just four weeks after the quarterback suffered what is officially his third concussion in the NFL – with many believing him to have suffered a fourth in a game that had not been made official on the injury report.
Twellman has sent an extremely honest message to Tagovailoa, stating that while he respects his decision, he has serious concerns for his long-term health.
Twellman said on the “Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz”: “I’m scared for Tua… I am just going to be honest. I’m scared for him. I think the words that he used were ‘for the love of football’ and ‘to the death of me’. I am scared of that.
Taylor Twellman has insinuated that Tagovailoa must consider retirement (
Getty Images)
“All I ask for is that he’s asking the right people for non-committal advice. Tua cannot say that the information is not already out there. Because when my career ended back in 2010, we did not have the information and the understanding of what this really does to your brain.
“I will 100 percent support Tua and I will 100% respect the decision, but there is no way now knowing what we know and knowing where we’re going that I can’t sit here in this camera and tell you, your listeners, and the world that I’m not scared. The last two or three concussions that he has had… that last one was a very innocuous hit and had little impact and we saw the result and reaction. I am not going to lie to you, I am nervous.”
Tagoailoa will start for the Dolphins on Sunday as they face the Arizona Cardinals, with the quarterback choosing not to wear a protective guardian cap.
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