[Don Lemon, Cnn Anchor:] About 40 miles of South Florida Beach front is off limits to swimmers and you can see why, it's because tens of thousands of sharks have been spotted just offshore. Imagine you're swimming and there is your buddy in the next lane right there. Marine biologists say they are migrating back up north after heading south for the winter. Boy oh boy. The commissioner of the NFL reportedly makes a startling admission about the most popular league in the country. Roger Goodell has taken several steps to try to keep players safe, but he fears a player could die on the field. That's according to an article in ESPN the magazine written by Dan Venatta Jr. The article quotes "An NFL Hall of Famer who speaks regularly with Goodell who says the commissioner is privately terrified. Another player could die on the field because of the league's violent culture." It happened only once before. Lions' wide receiver Chuck Hughes suffered a heart attack in a game back in 1971. Goodell denied requests for an interview by ESPN, the magazine and recently denied ever making those comments. So whether he said it or not, there are a lot of people associated with football talking about it today. And former NFL linebacker Coy Wire is here with more. Thanks for joining us. You used to play you know with the intensity and with the speed of the game. Do you think the game has become more you know more violent, faster could a player actually die on the field?
[Coy Wire, Former Nfl Linebacker:] There is no question. And if those comments were made, they would have been made in vain. I mean let's just take the knowledge and information right. I mean, guys are getting bigger, faster and stronger. So the collisions, the impacts are getting more impactful, more powerful. So the problem there is that the body's ability to protect the brain has stayed the same.
[Lemon:] Yes.
[Wire:] So it's just physics involved. There could be a player who dies.
[Lemon:] But whether we want to admit it or not, I mean that's what fans love, the violence. I mean and so the football commissioner if he reduces the violence in the game, can he be hurting the popularity of the game?
[Wire:] I think that's a big misconception misunderstanding. The game can still be violent it can still be exciting with big hits, huge collisions while still making it safer. The issue is just to reduce the number of life threatening and life altering collisions. And if we can do that
[Lemon:] Yes.
[Wire:] while keeping the game exciting, then we must.
[Lemon:] You're getting a little bit ahead of me because there is a new study that college players could get long term brain damage even without getting a concussion Coy. And we are nearing a time and whether we're nearing a time where we need to say enough is enough the game needs to be drastically changed. A lot of people are wondering that.
[Wire:] Yes and changes have made. They start they've started making changes and rightfully so and a step in the right direction. But all that we know now with concussions and the long term effects from Alzheimer's to dementia, changes must occur right? It's not just the big concussive episode where you're knocked unconscious. Less than 10 percent of concussions result in unconsciousness. They're saying Dr. Sanjay Gupta here with CNN has reported that it's the sub-concussive blows, just the repetitive tiny hits to the head. It would be like Don, if I punched you in the arm right and you didn't let it heal up but I just kept hitting you and hitting you and hitting you over time it's going to bruise badly enough so there's going to be some long term damage.
[Lemon:] You mentioned Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He's been focusing on that but do you think there's enough focus on concussions in the long-term effect?
[Wire:] I think so, it's all about awareness, right. I mean, this is a step in the right direction. The media is doing a great job of letting parents and young athletes know what a concussion is. There is no such thing as getting your bell rung anymore.
[Lemon:] Right.
[Wire:] That's a concussion. And you have one, you have to take it seriously because if you don't, you're risking decreasing years on your life you're you're risking death. I mean, that will happen with the size and the physics of the game increasing and the impacts getting bigger. It would happen if we don't take the correct measures to correct it.
[Lemon:] Mr. Wire, it's good to see you.
[Wire:] Always good to see you.
[Lemon:] It's good to have dinner with you the other night. And say hello to the wife.
[Wire:] Yes I'm looking forward to the next time.
[Lemon:] Thank you very much. Still to come, a church without a leader, an election without a schedule. We'll go to the Vatican for the latest on selecting a new Pope.