WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden met with former college football players and advocates on Wednesday to hear why student-athletes should have safety standards and benefit from the revenue they help produce, the White House said.
The meeting at the White House was described by one of the attendees, ESPN anchor Kevin Negandhi, as a session to gather information about issues involving college sports, particularly injuries.
“He was concerned. You could you could definitely see he’s concerned about injuries and the safety and coverage of athletes, not just while they’re in college, but what happens afterwards,” Negandhi said of Biden.
Concussions are one of the biggest issues in football. Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa considered retiring from football over the concussions he suffered in the 2022, the distressing scenes of which rocked the NFL.
In addition, a debate is raging in college football about “name, image, likeness” (NIL) agreements aimed at compensating student athletes.
The meeting included former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, the star player who retired early due to repeated injuries, and 1991 Heisman Trophy winner and former Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Desmond Howard, among others.
A White House statement said Biden dropped by the meeting to “hear about why college football players – and all student-athletes – deserve consistent safety standards, a voice, and to benefit from the revenue they produce.”
Negandhi told reporters no conclusions were reached at the meeting.
(Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
