The NFL omitted concussion cases when it downplayed the effects of head injuries on players based on studies conducted from 1996 through 2001, according to a report by The New York Times.
More than 100 diagnosed concussions were left out of the studies, based on confidential documents obtained by the Times. Star quarterbacks such as Steve Young and Troy Aikman were among the players who suffered concussions that were not counted, and zero concussions involving Dallas Cowboys players were documented by the NFL research in that period.
The research, published in 13 peer-reviewed articles beginning in 2003, was supposed to be a full account of all diagnosed concussions reported by team doctors from 1996 through 2001, but the missing concussions accounted for about 10 percent of the total number of cases, according to the Times.