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Van Brooks On His Foundation And His Constant Fight To Walk Again

Van Brooks is a former star athlete at Loyola Blakefield who was paralyzed on the field. Van joined Ed and Steve to share his story of perseverance through a major struggle in his life.

Steve asked Van about his story. Van noted that his story began in high school, "in 2004 I was a junior at Loyola Blakefield when I went to make a routine tackle in in a game against Georgetown Prep. My helmet collided with the running backs knee and I broke my neck as a result. I was left paralyzed from the neck down. Since then I can now walk a couple of steps on my own and I have started my own foundation called Safe Alternative."

Ed asked Van about his thoughts on the discussion concerning concussions both in the NFL and in youth football. Van acknowledged that he has mixed feelings on the subject, "I go back and forth with it. I like seeing kids playing football, but I also understand the nature of the game. It is up to coaches to have the proper training."

Van went on to discuss what his foundation is all about, his thoughts on the impact his foundation is having on kids in Baltimore, and what the ultimate goal is for Safe Alternative 10 years from now.

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