Christopher Nowinski
Encyclopedia
Christopher John Nowinski (born September 24, 1978) is an author
and a former professional wrestler
with World Wrestling Entertainment
. Nowinski is renowned for being WWE's first Harvard
alumnus, as he graduated with an A.B.
in sociology
. He is also recognized as the youngest Hardcore Champion
in WWE history. Following his wrestling career, he wrote Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis, which examined the long-term effects of head trauma among athletes.
, which Maven Huffman
won. After failing to win the competition, Nowinski made appearances in independent promotions before finally being hired by WWE and entering its developmental territories. Nowinski competed as Chris Harvard, capitalizing on his status as an alumnus of Harvard University. Nowinski made his first major independent appearance in London
, England
for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance
promotion at its Lights Camera Action show on December 14, 2001. Nowinski competed in its main event teaming up with Alex Shane
to defeat Drew McDonald
and Flash Barker. Though this was the only show Nowinski did for the promotion, he regards it as the best promotion he has ever worked for outside of WWE.
On the June 10, 2002 episode of Raw
, Nowinski debuted in WWE, helping William Regal
beat Bradshaw
in a European Championship
match. Nowinski would have a short-lived alliance with Regal, defeating Spike Dudley in his debut match the following week with Regal in his corner. Nowinski would team with Regal on the June 24 episode of Raw, successfully defeating Bradshaw and Dudley. Nowinski would continue to feud with Bradshaw over the next few weeks, with their feud ending on the July 8 episode of Raw, where Nowinski teamed with Jackie Gayda
in a losing effort against Bradshaw and Trish Stratus
. Nowinski would feud with The Dudleys (Bubba Ray Dudley and Spike Dudley) through the summer.
Nowinski would enter a feud with Tommy Dreamer
on the September 9 episode of Raw, where Nowinski would defeat Dreamer. A week later, Dreamer would attack Nowinski in a classroom. Their feud would end on the October 14 episode of Raw, where Nowinski was once again successful in defeating Dreamer. Over the next few weeks, Nowinski would get victories over Jeff Hardy
and Booker T before starting a feud with his former Tough Enough trainer, Al Snow
. After defeating Snow in two consecutive weeks, Maven would begin to help Snow against Nowinski. On the November 25 episode of Raw, Nowinski went against Maven in a match that ended in a no contest. Nowinski would team with D'Lo Brown
, where they would defeat Snow and Maven on two occasions. Nowinski would then continue his feud with Maven into 2003, where Test would align himself with Maven for a few weeks, successfully defeating Nowinski and Brown on the January 13, 2003 episode of Raw.
At the Royal Rumble
pay-per-view, Nowinski would participate in the Royal Rumble match itself as the number three entrant, where he was eliminated by Rey Mysterio. On the January 26 episode of Raw, Nowinski would interrupt a match between John Hennigan
and Matt Cappotelli
, the winners of the third season of Tough Enough, telling them to stop rubbing their victory in his face. Nowinski would then be chased through the crowd by Tommy Dreamer.
On the March 31 episode of Raw, Nowinski would begin a feud with Scott Steiner
in a losing effort. The feud come to an end on the May 12 episode of Raw, where Nowinski teamed with La Résistance (Rene Dupree and Sylvan Grenier) in a losing effort against Steiner, Test and Goldust. On the May 26 episode of Raw, Nowinski would align himself with Thuggin' And Buggin' Enterprises, a African-American wrestling stable consisting of Rodney Mack, Jazz and their manager Theodore Long
. At Insurrection, Nowinski would team with Mack and Long in a losing effort against The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley, Devon Dudley and Spike Dudley). At Bad Blood
, Nowinski and Mack would defeat The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and Devon). Nowinksi would wrestle his final match with WWE, due to him suffering with post-concussion syndrome
, on the June 23 episode of Raw, in a losing effort against Maven. After a full year of post-concussion symptoms he chose to retire from wrestling.
On the December 12, 2005 episode of Raw, Nowinski returned to the WWE, telling Vince McMahon
that he should make the new General Manager of Raw a "Harvard Graduate", referring to himself.
players as well as fellow wrestlers, with an introduction by Jesse Ventura
. Later in the year, Nowinski initiated an inquiry into the suicide of Andre Waters
, a 44-year old former NFL defensive back
who shot himself on November 20, 2006. Waters had sustained several concussions over his career, and at Nowinski's behest, Waters' family agreed to send pieces of his brain to be tested. Bennet Omalu, a pathologist at the University of Pittsburgh
announced that "the condition of Waters' brain tissue was what would be expected in an 85-year-old man, and there were characteristics of someone being in the early stages of Alzheimer's
."
Nowinski played an integral role in the discovery of the fourth case of CTE
in a former NFL football player, former Pittsburgh Steelers
offensive lineman Justin Strzelczyk
, who was killed in a fiery automobile crash in 2004 at age 36 after a 37-mile police chase at speeds up to 100 miles per hour on the wrong side of the highway. Julian Bailes, the chairman of the department of neurosurgery at West Virginia University
and the Steelers' team neurosurgeon during Strzelczyk's career, insisted to Nowinski over a phone conversation that he thought Strezelcyzk's death, which was precipitated by strange behavior that some had labeled as "bipolar", was worth looking into due to its similarities to the Andre Waters case. Nowinski contacted Omalu, who discovered the brain was still available, and Nowinski called Mary Strzelczyk, Justin's mother, to ask for permission to Omalu to examine it for CTE. Omalu's positive diagnosis was confirmed by two other neuropathologists.
Nowinski also collaborated with Ted Johnson
, former New England Patriots
linebacker, on symptoms of concussions after Johnson (who received over half a dozen concussions in his career) retired from the NFL after much controversy. Johnson was commissioned to write the foreword
in Nowinski's book but at the last minute decided to pull what he had written.
Nowinski alerted police and the coroner of Chris Benoit
, asking them to do a brain exam on Benoit's brain to see if concussions had any part in his rage or depression at the time of the double-homicide of his family and his suicide
. In June 2007, Nowinski co-founded the Sports Legacy Institute, an organization dedicated to furthering awareness of and research on sports-related head injuries, and increasing the safety of contact and collision sports worldwide. Nowinski's work was documented on ESPN
's Outside the Lines on September 5, 2007. On the same day, Benoit's brain examination report showed extensive damage due to concussions that could have led to dementia. To further the Sports Legacy Institute's mission, the Sports Legacy Institute and Michael Benoit, Chris' father, have started the Benoit Family Fund for Brain Injury Research.
. In addition, an absence of awareness and education on concussions, specifically proper diagnosis and management, was allowing the disease to proliferate. Finally, with brain trauma becoming the signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, this research/education model could also be applied to the military.
SLI was founded to solve this concussion crisis in sports and the military through medical research, treatment, and education & prevention. The initial vision of SLI was to formalize the groundbreaking neuropathological research and develop treatment and a cure through partnering with a top-tier university medical school. That vision was achieved when SLI partnered with Boston University School of Medicine in September, 2008, to form the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy. SLI would also develop ways to raise awareness of the issue and directly educate coaches, athletes and parents. As of 2009, SLI has achieved those goals through our Coaches Concussion Clinic program and raising awareness through media like the New York Times, 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, and many others.
The mission of the Sports Legacy Institute is to advance the study, treatment and prevention of the effects of brain trauma in athletes and other at-risk groups.
Nowinski makes public speaking appearances at schools and conferences, as well as before audiences of medical professionals. His work on concussion research has led him to be considered an expert voice in the field of concussion related research and awareness. He continues to be an outspoken voice advocating against the dangers of sports related head injuries, with numerous television and newspaper interviews. The work being done at Nowinski's foundation was featured on 60 Minutes
on October 11, 2009. Nowinski appeared on Stan Lee's Superhumans
as an expert on concussions. Hockey News
listed Nowinski on its 2011 edition of the 100 Most Powerful people in ice hockey as one of the Top 40 under the age of 40. This recognition was attributed to his ability in getting hockey players to donate brain tissue after death.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and a former professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
with World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
. Nowinski is renowned for being WWE's first Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
alumnus, as he graduated with an A.B.
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
. He is also recognized as the youngest Hardcore Champion
WWE Hardcore Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Hardcore Championship is a hardcore wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and is contested under "hardcore" rules, meaning there is no disqualifications, no countouts, and pin falls could be counted anywhere...
in WWE history. Following his wrestling career, he wrote Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis, which examined the long-term effects of head trauma among athletes.
Tough Enough and Independent circuit (2001)
Nowinski was one of the three finalists on WWE's first series of Tough EnoughWWE Tough Enough
WWE Tough Enough is a professional wrestling reality television program produced by WWE wherein participants undergo professional wrestling training and compete for a contract with WWE. There were two winners per season for the first three seasons, all of which aired on MTV...
, which Maven Huffman
Maven Huffman
Maven Klint Huffman is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment between October 2001 and July 5, 2005 under the name Maven. In 2008 he became a guest expert on the Home Shopping Network.-Early life:Maven was born to an African-American...
won. After failing to win the competition, Nowinski made appearances in independent promotions before finally being hired by WWE and entering its developmental territories. Nowinski competed as Chris Harvard, capitalizing on his status as an alumnus of Harvard University. Nowinski made his first major independent appearance in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance
Frontier Wrestling Alliance
Frontier Wrestling Alliance is a British professional wrestling promotion. Established in 1993 as the Fratton Wrestling Association it soon became the Frontier Wrestling Alliance six years later and until 2007 when it lost a scripted inter-promotional feud with International Pro Wrestling: United...
promotion at its Lights Camera Action show on December 14, 2001. Nowinski competed in its main event teaming up with Alex Shane
Alex Shane
Alexander Daniel Spilling is a British professional wrestler who is best known by his ring name "The Ascension" Alex Shane. Spilling also works as a promoter and wrestling teacher.-Early career:...
to defeat Drew McDonald
Drew McDonald
Drew McDonald changed his name by deed poll to Drew McDonald is a Scottish professional wrestler. He is best known for wrestling on the independent circuit in the United Kingdom since the 1980s.-Professional wrestling career:...
and Flash Barker. Though this was the only show Nowinski did for the promotion, he regards it as the best promotion he has ever worked for outside of WWE.
Raw (2002–2003)
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, Nowinski debuted in WWE, helping William Regal
Darren Matthews
Darren Kenneth Matthews , is an English professional wrestler, author and color commentator currently signed to WWE and competing on the SmackDown brand under the ring name William Regal. He is also known for his time in World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Steven Regal...
beat Bradshaw
John Layfield
John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...
in a European Championship
WWE European Championship
The WWE European Championship was a professional wrestling championship competed for in World Wrestling Entertainment. A coveted singles title of the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was held by superstars such as Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero, and was...
match. Nowinski would have a short-lived alliance with Regal, defeating Spike Dudley in his debut match the following week with Regal in his corner. Nowinski would team with Regal on the June 24 episode of Raw, successfully defeating Bradshaw and Dudley. Nowinski would continue to feud with Bradshaw over the next few weeks, with their feud ending on the July 8 episode of Raw, where Nowinski teamed with Jackie Gayda
Jackie Gayda
Jacquelyn Gayda-Haas is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and valet, best known for her work on World Wrestling Entertainment 's Raw and SmackDown! brands and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a TNA Knockout...
in a losing effort against Bradshaw and Trish Stratus
Trish Stratus
Patricia Anne Stratigias , better known by her ring name Trish Stratus, is a Canadian professional wrestler, actress and television personality currently signed with WWE. She is also a former fitness model....
. Nowinski would feud with The Dudleys (Bubba Ray Dudley and Spike Dudley) through the summer.
Nowinski would enter a feud with Tommy Dreamer
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James "Tom" Laughlin is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time spent with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
on the September 9 episode of Raw, where Nowinski would defeat Dreamer. A week later, Dreamer would attack Nowinski in a classroom. Their feud would end on the October 14 episode of Raw, where Nowinski was once again successful in defeating Dreamer. Over the next few weeks, Nowinski would get victories over Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
and Booker T before starting a feud with his former Tough Enough trainer, Al Snow
Al Snow
Allen Ray Sarven is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name of Al Snow. He is best known for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment and currently works for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a road agent.-Early career:Sarven...
. After defeating Snow in two consecutive weeks, Maven would begin to help Snow against Nowinski. On the November 25 episode of Raw, Nowinski went against Maven in a match that ended in a no contest. Nowinski would team with D'Lo Brown
D'Lo Brown
Accie Julius Connor better known by his ring name D'Lo Brown , is an American professional wrestler. Well known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment, he is currently working as an agent for Impact Wrestling.Connor has held forty-eight championships in various promotions during...
, where they would defeat Snow and Maven on two occasions. Nowinski would then continue his feud with Maven into 2003, where Test would align himself with Maven for a few weeks, successfully defeating Nowinski and Brown on the January 13, 2003 episode of Raw.
At the Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2003)
Royal Rumble was the sixteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . The event took place on January 19, 2003 at the Fleet Center in Boston, Massachusetts...
pay-per-view, Nowinski would participate in the Royal Rumble match itself as the number three entrant, where he was eliminated by Rey Mysterio. On the January 26 episode of Raw, Nowinski would interrupt a match between John Hennigan
John Hennigan
John Randall Hennigan is an American professional wrestler better known from his stint in WWE by his ring name John Morrison, and previously Johnny Nitro....
and Matt Cappotelli
Matt Cappotelli
Matthew Lee "Matt" Cappotelli is an American professional wrestler, last working in Ohio Valley Wrestling, which was the primary developmental territory for World Wrestling Entertainment until February 7, 2008...
, the winners of the third season of Tough Enough, telling them to stop rubbing their victory in his face. Nowinski would then be chased through the crowd by Tommy Dreamer.
On the March 31 episode of Raw, Nowinski would begin a feud with Scott Steiner
Scott Steiner
Scott Carl Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Scott Steiner. Steiner is perhaps best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling alongside his older brother Rick as the Steiner Brothers and as a member of the New World Order...
in a losing effort. The feud come to an end on the May 12 episode of Raw, where Nowinski teamed with La Résistance (Rene Dupree and Sylvan Grenier) in a losing effort against Steiner, Test and Goldust. On the May 26 episode of Raw, Nowinski would align himself with Thuggin' And Buggin' Enterprises, a African-American wrestling stable consisting of Rodney Mack, Jazz and their manager Theodore Long
Theodore Long
Theodore R. "Teddy" Long is an American professional wrestling manager and former referee who currently works for WWE on its SmackDown brand as its General Manager.-National Wrestling Alliance / World Championship Wrestling:...
. At Insurrection, Nowinski would team with Mack and Long in a losing effort against The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley, Devon Dudley and Spike Dudley). At Bad Blood
WWE Bad Blood
WWE Bad Blood was a World Wrestling Entertainment professional wrestling pay-per-view event that was held in 1997, 2003, and 2004. Bad Blood 1997 was originally titled In Your House: Badd Blood and took place on October 5. In 2003 and 2004, it was an exclusive event for the Raw brand...
, Nowinski and Mack would defeat The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and Devon). Nowinksi would wrestle his final match with WWE, due to him suffering with post-concussion syndrome
Post-concussion syndrome
Post-concussion syndrome, also known as postconcussive syndrome or PCS, and historically called shell shock, is a set of symptoms that a person may experience for weeks, months, or occasionally up to a year or more after a concussion – a mild form of traumatic brain injury . PCS may also...
, on the June 23 episode of Raw, in a losing effort against Maven. After a full year of post-concussion symptoms he chose to retire from wrestling.
On the December 12, 2005 episode of Raw, Nowinski returned to the WWE, telling Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
that he should make the new General Manager of Raw a "Harvard Graduate", referring to himself.
Writing career
In October 2006, Nowinski released a book, Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis, which details his career-ending injury and discusses the dangers of concussions in football and other contact sports. The book includes stories from National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
players as well as fellow wrestlers, with an introduction by Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
. Later in the year, Nowinski initiated an inquiry into the suicide of Andre Waters
Andre Waters
Andre Waters was an NFL defensive back who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals from 1984 to 1995. Waters was regarded as one of the NFL's hardest-hitting defenders, serving as an integral part of one of the league's top defenses...
, a 44-year old former NFL defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
who shot himself on November 20, 2006. Waters had sustained several concussions over his career, and at Nowinski's behest, Waters' family agreed to send pieces of his brain to be tested. Bennet Omalu, a pathologist at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
announced that "the condition of Waters' brain tissue was what would be expected in an 85-year-old man, and there were characteristics of someone being in the early stages of Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
."
Nowinski played an integral role in the discovery of the fourth case of CTE
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a progressive degenerative disease found in individuals who have been subjected to multiple concussions and other forms of head injury. A variant of the condition, dementia pugilistica, is primarily associated with boxing...
in a former NFL football player, former Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
offensive lineman Justin Strzelczyk
Justin Strzelczyk
Justin Conrad Strzelczyk was a former American football offensive lineman who played nine seasons in the NFL, all for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1990–1998 and helped the team gain a Super Bowl berth. He can also be seen in the 1997 Adam Sandler music video, "The Lonesome Kicker"...
, who was killed in a fiery automobile crash in 2004 at age 36 after a 37-mile police chase at speeds up to 100 miles per hour on the wrong side of the highway. Julian Bailes, the chairman of the department of neurosurgery at West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
and the Steelers' team neurosurgeon during Strzelczyk's career, insisted to Nowinski over a phone conversation that he thought Strezelcyzk's death, which was precipitated by strange behavior that some had labeled as "bipolar", was worth looking into due to its similarities to the Andre Waters case. Nowinski contacted Omalu, who discovered the brain was still available, and Nowinski called Mary Strzelczyk, Justin's mother, to ask for permission to Omalu to examine it for CTE. Omalu's positive diagnosis was confirmed by two other neuropathologists.
Nowinski also collaborated with Ted Johnson
Ted Johnson
Ted Curtis Johnson is a former American football player in the National Football League. He grew up in Carlsbad, California where he graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1991. From there he attended the University of Colorado and was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 1995 NFL...
, former New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
linebacker, on symptoms of concussions after Johnson (who received over half a dozen concussions in his career) retired from the NFL after much controversy. Johnson was commissioned to write the foreword
Foreword
A foreword is a piece of writing sometimes placed at the beginning of a book or other piece of literature. Written by someone other than the primary author of the work, it often tells of some interaction between the writer of the foreword and the book's primary author or the story the book tells...
in Nowinski's book but at the last minute decided to pull what he had written.
Nowinski alerted police and the coroner of Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
, asking them to do a brain exam on Benoit's brain to see if concussions had any part in his rage or depression at the time of the double-homicide of his family and his suicide
Chris Benoit double murder and suicide
The Chris Benoit double murder suicide occurred over a three-day period ending on June 24, 2007. World Wrestling Entertainment professional wrestler Chris Benoit killed his wife, Nancy Benoit, strangled his seven-year-old son, Daniel, and subsequently committed suicide by hanging. Autopsy results...
. In June 2007, Nowinski co-founded the Sports Legacy Institute, an organization dedicated to furthering awareness of and research on sports-related head injuries, and increasing the safety of contact and collision sports worldwide. Nowinski's work was documented on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Outside the Lines on September 5, 2007. On the same day, Benoit's brain examination report showed extensive damage due to concussions that could have led to dementia. To further the Sports Legacy Institute's mission, the Sports Legacy Institute and Michael Benoit, Chris' father, have started the Benoit Family Fund for Brain Injury Research.
Concussion expert
Since Nowinski's departure from WWE and the publication of his book Head Games, he has garnered a significant amount of media attention, making numerous appearances on networks such as ESPN and CNN to discuss sports-related head injuries. Nowinski continues to work as a consultant for Trinity Partners while serving as president on the board of directors for the Sports Legacy Institute (SLI). SLI was founded on June 14, 2007 in Boston, Massachusetts by Christopher Nowinski and Dr. Robert Cantu in reaction to new medical research indicating brain trauma in sports had become a public health crisis. Post-mortem analysis of the brain tissue of former contact sports athletes was revealing that repetitive brain injuries, both concussions and non-concussive blows, could lead to a neurodegenerative disease known as Chronic traumatic encephalopathyChronic traumatic encephalopathy
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a progressive degenerative disease found in individuals who have been subjected to multiple concussions and other forms of head injury. A variant of the condition, dementia pugilistica, is primarily associated with boxing...
. In addition, an absence of awareness and education on concussions, specifically proper diagnosis and management, was allowing the disease to proliferate. Finally, with brain trauma becoming the signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, this research/education model could also be applied to the military.
SLI was founded to solve this concussion crisis in sports and the military through medical research, treatment, and education & prevention. The initial vision of SLI was to formalize the groundbreaking neuropathological research and develop treatment and a cure through partnering with a top-tier university medical school. That vision was achieved when SLI partnered with Boston University School of Medicine in September, 2008, to form the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy. SLI would also develop ways to raise awareness of the issue and directly educate coaches, athletes and parents. As of 2009, SLI has achieved those goals through our Coaches Concussion Clinic program and raising awareness through media like the New York Times, 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, and many others.
The mission of the Sports Legacy Institute is to advance the study, treatment and prevention of the effects of brain trauma in athletes and other at-risk groups.
Nowinski makes public speaking appearances at schools and conferences, as well as before audiences of medical professionals. His work on concussion research has led him to be considered an expert voice in the field of concussion related research and awareness. He continues to be an outspoken voice advocating against the dangers of sports related head injuries, with numerous television and newspaper interviews. The work being done at Nowinski's foundation was featured on 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
on October 11, 2009. Nowinski appeared on Stan Lee's Superhumans
Stan Lee's Superhumans
Stan Lee's Superhumans is a documentary television series that debuted August 5, 2010 on History. It is hosted by comic book superhero creator Stan Lee and follows contortionist Daniel Browning Smith, "the most flexible man in the world", as he searches the globe for real-life superhumans – people...
as an expert on concussions. Hockey News
The Hockey News
The Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
listed Nowinski on its 2011 edition of the 100 Most Powerful people in ice hockey as one of the Top 40 under the age of 40. This recognition was attributed to his ability in getting hockey players to donate brain tissue after death.
Controversy
He appeared on WTNH saying "It's absolutely unsafe to work in that ring. They (the WWE) have no oversight into what actually happens in the ring and they are encouraging steroid use." He said he felt prompted to talk about this issue of steroid abuse due to the comments made by Linda McMahon on the death of wrestler Lance Cade.In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Harvard Buster (Full nelson facebuster)
- Honor Roll (Swinging double underhook suplex)
- ManagerManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
s- William Regal
- Theodore LongTheodore LongTheodore R. "Teddy" Long is an American professional wrestling manager and former referee who currently works for WWE on its SmackDown brand as its General Manager.-National Wrestling Alliance / World Championship Wrestling:...
Championships and accomplishments
- World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
- WWE Hardcore ChampionshipWWE Hardcore ChampionshipThe World Wrestling Entertainment Hardcore Championship is a hardcore wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and is contested under "hardcore" rules, meaning there is no disqualifications, no countouts, and pin falls could be counted anywhere...
(2 times)
- WWE Hardcore Championship