NFL teams up with lawmakers on football safety

Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) already has his congressional football dream team picked out.

“Oh man, Cedric Richmond of course. I would definitely want him on the team. That would be my first round draft pick,” said Veasey of the Democratic Louisiana lawmaker.

“Seth Moulton [D-Mass.] is a pretty athletic guy, is my understanding. Eric Swalwell [D-Calif.] is also really athletic,” he added.

{mosads}Veasey and other lawmakers joined a host of gridiron stars at an educational clinic hosted by the NFL and USA Football on Wednesday evening to promote safety in tackle football.

Youngsters ran around the Rayburn cafeteria, getting autographs from former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher and legendary Chicago Bears linebacker Mike Singletary, among others.

The NFL has been under pressure to do more to reduce concussions amid worries about player safety. And while proper tackling techniques may help decrease the risk of concussions and other injuries, some say children should not play football at a young age.

President Obama also drew attention to the issue when he said that if he had a son, he wouldn’t let him play pro football.

Asked if he would let his son, who is in the fourth grade, play football knowing the risks, Veasey told The Hill, “Not now, I wouldn’t let my son play now.”

“I know other people who have started their kids in tackle football for like four- and five-year-olds. So I think it’s up to each individual’s parents, but for me personally, no I wouldn’t. But would I be OK with him playing in seventh or eighth grade? Yes,” he added.

The event also comes as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell met with lawmakers this week to discuss player safety.

Also at the clinic was former gridiron star Roman Oben, now the NFL’s director of youth and high school football. Oben interned on Capitol Hill in 2000 and said hosting the event with lawmakers was important to the league.

“There have been critical meetings this week just informing those in Washington about policies and procedures, the things the league office has done to be proactive and to increase education, and to make sure this game is getting safer,” he said.

Asked which lawmaker he’d want on his dream team, Ogen knew immediately.

“I would say Bill Pascrell, he’s my favorite,” he said of the New Jersey Dem.