NFL official acknowledges link between football and brain disease

For the first time, an NFL official has acknowledged a link between American football and a degenerative brain disease.

Jeff Miller, the NFL's vice-president of health and safety, was speaking at a discussion organised by the US House Representative's Energy and Commerce Committee, which debated the link between the sport and brain diseases, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy - commonly known as CTE.

CTE is a degenerative condition, which has been described as having Alzheimer-like symptoms, leading to memory loss, increased irritability and mood changes.

"The answer to that question is certainly yes," Miller said when asked if he thought there was a link.

However, he added that at this stage, it is unclear how this would affect the future of American football, also telling the committee that the wider scope of the issue needs to be addressed.

"Certainly, based on Dr [Ann] McKee's research, there's a link, because she's found CTE in a number of retired football players," added Miller.

"I think the broader point, and the one that your question gets to, is what it necessarily means and where to we go from here with that information."

In the lead-up to this year's Super Bowl, neurosurgeon Mitch Berger, who heads-up the NFL's sub-committee on long-term brain injury, had said that there was no link between football and CTE that could be established.

Berger's comments were referred to by Illinois' representative Jan Schakowsky as "peddling a false sense of security," in terms of downplaying the dangers of head trauma in the NFL.

"What the American public needs now is honesty about the health risks and clearly more research," added Schakowsky.

When answering his questions, Miller cited Boston University neuropathologist Dr McKee, and she revealed her own belief that there is no doubt there is a link.

"I unequivocally think there's a link between playing football and CTE," she said.

"We've seen it in 90 out of 94 NFL players whose brains we've examined, we've found it in 45 out of 55 college players and six out of 26 high school players."

It is the first time that the NFL has directly linked playing the game with CTE. It is a disease which can only be detected after death and has been found in players ,including former San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau, who committed suicide in 2012 aged 43.

While the league has previously acknowledged that head trauma, particularly concussion, poses a risk to the long-term health of players, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and other top officials haven't taken definitive public stands on the matter.