McMahon: NFL suit not about money

CHICAGO, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- A suit charging the National Football League hid the risk of repetitive brain injuries isn't about greed, says former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon.

It's about education, says McMahon, who suffers from early stages of dementia, WFLD-TV, Chicago, reported Thursday.

Some 2,000 retired players, including McMahon, have sued the NFL.

"I'm not in it for the money," he said. "This is about raising awareness, whether or not these guys knew back then this was going to happen."

Players like him who took a bad hit on the field got only brief attention from team doctors, McMahon said.

"They'd ask you questions, basic questions. Where are you, what day is it? Stuff like that. And if you were able to answer that and seem like you were ok they would let you back in."

"If I was able to walk out on that field, I was gonna play," he said. "Had I known about that stuff early on in my career, I probably would have chosen a different career. I always wanted to be a baseball player anyway."

Football is tough on both the body and mind, McMahon asserted. Many players have lifetime damage. Others, like McMahon's former teammate Dave Duerson, kill themselves after they are diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries.

McMahon said he has never considered taking his own life. "I have too much fun every day," he said.