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January 24, 2012
AUGUSTA -- Hot on the heels of the New England Patriots winning the AFC Championship game and headed to the Super Bowl for the fifth time in ten years, former Patriots linebacker and current team Executive Director of Community Affairs Andre Tippett is headed to the Maine State House on Wednesday to lead a press conference promoting legislation that would help schools better manage head injuries suffered by youth athletes.
The press conference will be held at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 in the Welcome Center.
Tippett will join local high school students, medical professionals, representatives from the University of Maine, and State Rep. Don Pilon and Rep. Ed Mazurek, D-Rockland in support of Pilon’s bill, LD 98: "Resolve, Directing the Commissioner of Education To Adopt a Policy Regarding Management of Head Injuries in Youth Sports,” which is scheduled for a work session in the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee Wednesday afternoon. The bill would direct the State Commissioner of Education to establish a reliable protocol for identifying head injuries during youth sports events, and develop a plan to safely return the student to the field and classroom.
A beloved New England linebacker for his entire NFL career, Tippett was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 1982 draft and played with the team for 12 seasons before retiring after the 1993 season . During his career, Tippett was elected to the Pro Bowl in five straight seasons and was a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team in the 1980s. He was named the AFC’s Linebacker of the Year by the NFL Players’ Association for three straight years, and to the Associated Press’s All-NFL First-team on two occasions and Second-team on two others.
Contact:
Jodi Quintero [Pilon, Mazurek], 287-1488, c. 841-6279