How worried are you about C.T.E.?

It wasn’t until toward the end of his career when everything really started coming out about C.T.E. He wasn’t as concerned as I was, because when you are living out your dream, you aren’t worried about that kind of stuff.

Do you think football is more or less safe than other contact sports?

People think soccer is a great sport but watching them hit the ball with their head? I don’t think that’s any better than football. All sports have some kind of danger.

If you knew what you know now about player safety, would you have still let your son play tackle football?

If he had to do it all over again, he would do it. It was his dream. When people are living out their dreams, a lot of time, there’s not a lot a parent can say about it. You just keep your child in prayer, and hope when it’s all said and done they come out healthy, not having to deal with any type of memory issues.

Would you like to see your grandchildren playing tackle football?

Knowing what I know, I would prefer that they try another sport. At the same time, both of my grandsons are playing football. I’m hoping that they decide to play a sport that’s not contact.

Carol Berry

Her son, Eric Berry, began playing football at 5. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2010 draft and played eight seasons in the league. He is currently a free agent.