It’s been the buzz of the sports world for months. Former football player –turned budding music mogul– Thomas Jones has made the brave decision to donate his brain to research in hopes of pushing the conversation and studies the link between sports and brain trauma.

Per CNN:

Despite his love for the gridiron, the coal miner’s son knows there’s a dark side to the sport.

“In the NFL, yeah, we’re making a lot of money. But the reality is, you’re taking a chance on your life as well,” he said. “People love to see someone get knocked out. But no one’s there when they have a concussion.”

A tale of two former NFL players and their brains

It’s something that weighs on Jones, who retired from the NFL in 2011 after playing 12 seasons for five different teams.

Still nimble, Jones doesn’t experience chronic headaches or have memory trouble. He even considers himself less irritable nowadays than when he was playing.

Although his daily life isn’t riddled with pain resulting from repeated pummeling, he is concerned about the long-term effects of the sport on his brain.

That concern grew after talking to doctors and players haunted by gnarly hits for a six-part documentary series, “The NFL: The Gift Or The Curse,” which he is producing.

Don’t forget Thomas and his new record company released a hot new mixtape with DJ Khaled that’s garner lots of attention. And a new viral video that’s collected millions of hits in just 2 days. Which you can watch here.

Jones is also currently producing an incredible new documentary that rips the bandage off the facade of national sports figures. Watch the trailer for “Mind Game”

Mind Game Teaser from Ronnie Bahamon on Vimeo.

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