Concussions are a form of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) that can occur from any force to the head or body that causes the brain to move within the skull. Concussions are common in the sport of football due to the highly physical nature of the sport, and injured athletes can experience a wide array of symptoms. Like other players participating with powerhouse football programs, those at the University of Mississippi are at risk of concussion throughout their collegiate career. Whether players and fans perceive the risks of concussion equally has not been previously studied. Considering the passionate history of football at the University, the purpose of this project was to survey full-time students, faculty, and staff at the University of Mississippi regarding their views of the effects and associated risks of concussion on Ole Miss players. We set out to determine which position was perceived to be at greatest risk of concussion. We were also interested in how the public viewed, and was influenced by, the media’s presentation of concussions. We sought to analyze responses based on Ole Miss classification, self-reported devotion to Ole Miss football, identification as current, former, or non-athletes in football or other sports. The results of this study serve to open a dialogue regarding the safety of Ole Miss football players in years to come
