NFL’s Crisis Communication Plan (CCP) for a Media

Spotlight on Concussions Leading to Chronic Traumatic

Encephalopathy (CTE)

Charles Chitwood - President

Cecilia Benoit - Public Relations Representative
Ellison Cheatham - Athlete Representative
Kailey Heil - Chairman, Medical Committee
 Contents

Section 1: Introduction

Section 2: Acknowledgments

Section 3: Rehearsal Dates

Section 4: Crisis Inventory

Section 5: Purpose and objectives

Section 6: List of key publics

Section 7: Notifying Publics

Section 8: Crisis communication team and crisis directory

Section 9: Media spokesperson

Section 10: List of emergency personnel and local officials

Section 11: List of key media

Section 12: Spokesperson for related organizations

Section 13: Crisis Communication Control Center

Section 14: Equipment and supplies

Section 15: Pre-gathered information

Section 16: Key messages

Section 17: Media Q&A: Trick questions

Section 18: Web page

Section 19: Evaluations

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 Introduction

The main purpose of the Crisis Communications Plan is to describe a major crisis and the crisis
communication plan that would be used in the midst of a crisis occurring or even before a crisis.
The CCP outlines important members of the organization that would handle the media if the
crisis should occur. This plan is crucial to follow in order to maintain a good reputation after a
crisis should occur that would hurt the company, stakeholders and others involved. If the plan is
not followed as described there is a major risk to the organization’s reputation. It is very
important for members of the NFL organization to familiarize themselves with this document in
case a situation may arise.

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that has 32
individual teams across the US. Because of the intensity of the game and the consistent injuries
that come along with it, there are many after-effects that take a toll on players for years after
finishing their careers in the NFL. Concussions are some of the most common injuries that
players suffer from that if ignored or improperly treated, can lead to more serious injuries such as
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). In case of a situation of CTE occurring we have put
this CCP in place to handle the situation and explain all of the information needed in response to
the situation.

“We are the stewards of Football. We unite people and inspire communities in the joy of the
game by delivering the world’s most exciting sports and entertainment experience.”

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 Acknowledgments

By signing this affidavit, I verified that I had read this crisis communication plan in its entirety
and that I am prepared and willing to enact it to the best of my ability.

Charles Chitwood
Charles Chitwood
President

Kailey Heil
Kailey Heil
Chairman, Medical Committee

Cecilia Benoit
Cecilia Benoit
Public Relations Representative

Ellison Cheatham
Ellison Cheatham
Athlete Representative

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 Rehearsal Dates

This plan is to be rehearsed quite frequently.

The rehearsal dates are the following:

- March 27, 2022

- July 10, 2022

- November 16, 2022

- January 8, 2023

- June 16, 2023

- December 18, 2023

- May 4, 2024

- October 15, 2024

- January 24, 2025

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 Crisis Inventory

● Risks of CTE
- Progressive decline of memory and cognition, eventually leading to dementia
- Lowered life expectancy (50 yrs or less)
- Poor impulse control/aggressiveness
- Suicidal behavior
- Lack of attention or concentration caused by loss of hearing, sight and other
senses

Risk Likelihood Impact/severity Risk threat =

Likelihood x impact

Domestic Violence 3 5 15
(prior to the draft or
after being drafted)

Concussions leading to 4 5 20
Chronic Traumatic
Encephalopathy (CTE)
(ignored injuries
leading to concussions
or mental illness)

Performance- 4 3 12
Enhancing Drugs

Cheating (within the 3 3 9

teams or within
management)

Protesting (racial 4 4 16
inequality, political
violence, police
brutality, authority
issues)

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Prodromes
● Domestic Violence
The media spokesperson will explain.
○ Increased violence or aggression
○ Abnormal privacy regarding personal life
○ Abnormal cuts, scratches or bruises not received during football activities (game,
practice)
○ Accusations of domestic violence from a party close to the athlete
○ Accusations of domestic violence from social media
○ Rumors of domestic violence on social media
● Concussion/CTE
The medical examiner will explain.
○ Inability to train/perform at normal capacity
○ Unusual memory loss
○ Spotty vision/light sensitivity
○ Abnormal anxiety and depression
○ Poor impulse control/aggressiveness
○ Lack of attention or concentration caused by loss of hearing, sight and other

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 senses
○ Progressive decline of memory and cognition, eventually leading to dementia
○ Lowered life expectancy (50 yrs or less)
○ Suicidal behavior
○ Media rumors of possible Concussion/CTE
● Performance-Enhancing Drugs
The medical examiner will explain.
○ Increased acne
○ Male pattern baldness
○ Liver Damage
○ Abnormal or increased aggressiveness, sometimes resulting in criminal behavior
(Roid Rage)
○ Increase in signs of depression or depressive episodes
○ Shrinking of the testicles
● Cheating
The president or media spokesperson will explain.
○ Rumors of a team or teams cheating
○ Media accusations of a team or teams cheating
○ Accusations of a team or teams cheating from within the NFL or NFL team
● Protesting
The president or media spokesperson will explain.
○ Traditional or social media outrage on societal topic
○ Athlete activism in societal protests
○ Social media outrage over an athlete’s actions
○ Rumors of possible protests involving the NFL
○ Rumors of possible protests against the NFL

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 Purpose and Objectives

In the event of a player suffering a concussion or a current/former player being diagnosed with
CTE it is the duty of the NFL to…

1. Hold the well-being of its athletes as its highest priority

2. Identify the severity of the player’s injury in a timely fashion
3. Honestly report the severity of the injury to key publics
4. Keep key publics informed throughout the player’s injury and recovery
5. Determine if the injury could have been avoided

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 List of Key Publics

Internal Key Publics

● NFL Medical Committee
● Upper Management for all 32 teams
● Coaching staff for all 32 teams
● NFL Players Association
● Social media managers for all 32 teams
● NFL Staff (Corporate and for all 32 teams)
● Stadium event staff
● NFL Referees Association
● Team owners

External Key Publics

● Affected player’s family and/or emergency contacts
● Potential Fans and Current Fans
● Charitable associations
● Non-profit organizations
● Corporate partners
● Donors/Boosters
● Sponsors
● Schools (Elementary, Middle, High)
● National media outlets
○ ESPN
○ National news outlets (CNN, MSNBC, FOX)
○ National print media (NYT, USA Today)
● Regional media outlets
○ Sports radio stations
○ News stations
○ Online blogs
● Local media outlets
○ Sports radio stations
○ Local news stations
○ Local newspapers
○ Online blogs

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 ● Government entities
○ Police departments
○ Traffic departments
○ EMT association
○ Legislators (City, State, Country)
Notifying Publics

In the event of this crisis the following publics will be notified.

Public Call E-mail Letter Newsletter News Personal Media

by mail Release visit Channels

Affected X
Players Family
and Friends

Coaches X

Teammates X

NFL X
Association

Media X

Employees X

Fans X

The media spokesperson will alert the fans and stakeholders. Both the president
and the medical examiner will alert the affected player’s family and friends. The
coaches will be told prior to the other players by the president and the medical
examiner. The employees and NFL association will be alerted by the president and
the media spokesperson.

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 Crisis Communication Team and Crisis Directory

Charles Chitwood
President
Phone: (405) 597-3252
Email: charleschitwood@gmail.com

Kailey Heil
Medical Committee Chairman
Phone: (630) 779-5885
Email: kaileyheil@gmail.com

Cecilia Benoit
Public Relations Representative
Phone: (337) 309-1691
Email: ceciliacbenoit@gmail.com

Ellison Cheatham
Athlete Representative
Phone: (817) 611-9860
Email: ellisoncheatham@gmail.com

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 Media Spokesperson

Cecilia Benoit, Public Relations Representative

Kailey Heil, Medical Committee Chairman

Both Cecilia Benoit and Kailey Heil will serve as the spokespeople and will be the face of the
National Football League when it comes to the new media communication during a crisis that is
involving the NFL. They will deliver briefings to the media. They each bring expertise to the
crisis and will be able to serve as the messengers for the organization to the publics and media.

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 List of Emergency Personnel and Local Officials

1. People:
a. Kailey Heil
i. Phone: (630) 779-5885
ii. Email: kaileyheil@gmail.com
b. Cecilia Benoit
i. Phone: (337) 309-1691
ii. Email: ceciliacbenoit@gmail.com
c. Charles Chitwood
i. Phone: (405) 597-3252
ii. Email: chasechitwood@gmail.com
d. Ellison Cheatham
i. Phone: (817) 611-9860
ii. Email: ellisoncheatham@gmail.com
2. Chicago
a. Hospital:
i. Northwestern Memorial Hospital
ii. Phone: (312) 926-2000 or 911
iii. Address: 251 E Huron St, Chicago, IL 60611
3. New York City
a. Hospital:
i. New York-Presbyterian
ii. Phone: (212) 305-2500 or 911
iii. Address: 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032
4. Los Angeles
a. Hospital:
i. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
ii. Phone: (310) 423-3277 or 911
iii. Address: 8700 Beverly Blvd #2900A, Los Angeles, CA 90048

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 Step 11: List of Key Media
Local

NEW YORK CITY

● Newspapers (paper and online)
○ The Wall Street Journal
○ The New York Times
○ New York Post
○ The New York Sun
● Television stations
○ CBS New York
○ NBC New York
○ FOX New York
○ ABC New York
● Radio stations
○ WEPN ESPN New York 98.7
○ WGR 550 Sports Radio
○ WADO 1280 AM
○ WTLA ESPN Radio 97.7
LOS ANGELES
● Newspapers (paper and online)
○ Los Angeles Daily News
○ Los Angeles Times
○ Daily Breeze
● Television Stations
○ NBC Los Angeles
○ CW Los Angeles
○ ABC Los Angeles
● Radio Stations
○ KSPN ESPN LA 710 AM
○ KLAA Angels Radio AM 830
○ KLAC-AM AM 570 LA Sports
CHICAGO

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 ● Newspapers (paper and online)
○ Chicago Sun-Times
○ Chicago Tribune
○ Daily Herald
○ The Herald-News
● Television Stations
○ NBC Tower
○ CBS 2 Chicago
○ ABC/WLS-TV
● Radio Stations
○ WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM/66AM New York
○ SportsRadio 94WIP
○ WGR 550 SportsRadio
National
● Newspapers
○ USA Today
○ Wall Street Journal
○ The New York Times
● Television stations
○ ESPN
○ ESPN2
○ ESPN Extra
○ NFL Network
○ NFL Red Zone
○ Fox Sports
○ NBCSN
○ CBS Sports Network
● Radio stations websites
○ ESPN Radio
○ Sportsmap Radio
○ Fox Sports Radio
○ NBC Sports Radio
○ CBS Sports Radio
● Sports magazines
○ Sports Illustrated
○ Pro Football Weekly
○ Sports Weekly
○ ESPN The Magazine
○ Sporting News
International

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● Television stations
○ fuboTV
○ beIN Sports
○ Fox Deportes
○ GOLD TV
● Radio stations
○ Radio Continental. AM 590
○ Radio Rivadavia. AM 630
○ Radio La Red. AM 910
● Websites
○ Espn.com
○ Marca.com
○ as.com

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 Spokespersons for Related Organizations

National Brain Injury Institute

● Huma Haider M.D.
○ Phone: (214) 386-1900
○ Email: hhaider@nationalbii.com

Brain Injury Association of America

● Gail Denton, Ph.D.
○ Phone: (526) 644-9373
○ Email: gdenton@brainlash.com

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 Crisis Communication Control Center

● NFL Headquarters
○ New York City, NY
■ Phone: (330) 962-7272
■ Address: 345 Park Ave, New York, NY 10154, USA

● NFL West Coast Headquarters

○ Inglewood, CA
■ Phone: (331) 346-6723

● NFL Satellite Office

○ Chicago, IL
■ Phone: (630) 710-6342

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 Equipment and Supplies

● Items needed in the Control Center

○ 10 Apple MacBook Pro Laptops

○ 5 Dell Monitors and Computers

○ 1 Printer with ink and paper

○ 1 Scanner

○ 5 Cases of Bottled Water

○ 1 Podium

○ 5 Folding Tables

○ 70 Folding Chairs

○ 1 Mobile Speaking Platform

○ 1 NFL Banner

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 Pre-Gathered Information

Sample Press Release

Current NFL Player Being Treated for a Concussion Potentially Showing Signs of CTE
___(Player name)___ of the ___(team name)___ is currently being treated for a
concussion after last week's game on ___(date)___. ___(Player name)___ was taken out of the
game last week during the ___(quarter)___ after getting tackled. He was taken back to the locker
room to be examined immediately. It is not known at this time if he has Chronic Traumatic
Encephalopathy (CTE), but he is showing multiple symptoms and is being examined by our
medical team.
“We are very concerned about ___(player’s name)___ and we are monitoring his
condition closely. He does have a concussion and is showing multiple signs of CTE such as___
(explain his symptoms)___. We are doing everything in our power to help ___(player name)___
and his family during this time,” said Kailey Heil the Chairman, Medical Committee.
The National Football League (NFL) takes concussions and potential CTE diagnosis very
seriously. The NFL is currently doing everything in our power to help out this athlete and his
family. The NFL has a very strict treatment policy and plans to implement it instantly after the
official diagnosis. If you have any questions or want more information on Concussions and Brain
Disease you can visit
​https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/pdfs/providers/facts_about_concussion_tbi-a.pdf. To contact our
spokesperson Cecilia Benoit you can call (337) 309-1691 or email ceciliacbenoit@gmail.com.

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Sample Organizational Statement

(Player name) of the (team name) is currently being treated for a concussion after last week's
game on (date). (Player name) is showing multiple symptoms of Chronic Traumatic
Encephalopathy (CTE) and is currently being tested to determine the severity of his diagnosis. If
the athlete is diagnosed, we will be providing more information on CTE as well as answering all
questions that come up. We will provide further information when we know more. Thank you for
your time and cooperation.

Concussion Fact Sheet

Definition of Concussion:
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury—or TBI—caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the
head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. This
sudden movement can cause the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull, creating chemical
changes in the brain and sometimes stretching and damaging brain cells.

Symptoms of a Concussion:
● Headache or “pressure” in the head.
● Nausea or vomiting.
● Balance problems or dizziness, or double or blurry vision.
● Bothered by light or noise.
● Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or groggy.
● Confusion, concentration, or memory problems.
● Just not “feeling right,” or “feeling down”.

What is CTE?
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive brain condition that's thought to be
caused by repeated blows to the head and repeated episodes of concussion. It's particularly
associated with contact sports, such as boxing or American football. Most of the available studies
are based on ex-athletes.

How do concussions happen?

A concussion is a mild form of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to
the head. Concussions can also occur from a fall or a blow to the body that causes the head to
move rapidly back and forth.

How are concussions found?

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Brain imaging may determine whether the injury is severe and has caused bleeding or swelling in
the skull. A cranial computerized tomography (CT) scan is the standard test in adults to assess
the brain right after the injury.

How are concussions prevented?

Wearing properly fitting, sport-appropriate headgear and safety equipment when playing contact
sports

URL for Concussions

https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/basics/concussion_whatis.html
- Learn about concussions
- Symptoms of concussions?
- Treatment of Concussions?

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy/#:~:text=Chronic%20tra
- Learn about Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
- How do you get it?
- Symptoms of CTE
- How is it Diagnosed?

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355600
- Learn about testing for CTE
- What do they use to test?
- How do they do neurological examinations?

● Sample Social Media

Twitter

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Instagram

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 Key Messages

● The NFL’s main goal is to provide factual and accurate information to all publics.

● The NFL always keeps their players’ health and well-being as a priority.

● The NFL’s core values are and will continue to have respect, integrity, responsibility to
the team, and resiliency.

● The NFL has a priority of both safety and cautious measures to ensure the safety of all
players, coaches, and many others involved in the organization.

● In the event of a crisis, all appropriate measures will be taken to ensure the safety of all
involved as well as avoid any other possible injuries.

2009 - NFL requires players suspected of concussion to remain off-field until they are deemed
healthy. Previously, a player had to get knocked out to be kept off the field.
"Once removed for the duration of a practice or game, the player should not be
considered for return-to-football activities until he is fully asymptotic, both at rest
and after exertion, has a normal neurological examination, normal
neuropsychological testing, and has been cleared to return by both his team
physician(s) and the independent neurological consultant.".
- Commissioner Roger Goodell

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 Media Q&A: Trick Questions

All of these questions can be the media attempting to incriminate or get more information out of
the spokesperson that has not been said before. These questions are most commonly asked by the
media, but in this sense can be tricky due to the crisis at hand. With CTE there are many signs
that are ignored and once they are diagnosed it becomes too late. Having answers to these
questions will benefit the spokesperson when it comes time to talk to the media about the crisis.

Can you tell us what happened?

■ The NFL had an athlete get a concussion during a game previously. He is
now showing symptoms of CTE so we are working with medical
examiners to get him the help he and his family needs.
What caused it to happen?
■ The player was tackled during a game causing him to hit his head on the
ground with great impact.
What does it mean?
■ This means the player cannot play until further notice or treatment. There
is a chance he will never play again if there is enough damage.
Who is to blame?
■ There is no one to blame in this situation.
What are you doing to ensure this never happens again?
■ We do everything in our power to ensure our helmets will stop any head
trauma, but there is no guarantee.
How many people were harmed and how are you helping those people?
■ There is one person harmed as well as his family and friends. We are
doing everything in our power to help the family by making
accommodations ad providing any services they may need.
Can you be specific about the harm that occurred?
■ An NFL player was tackled on the field and has suffered from concussion
and is also showing signs of CTE.
What is being done in response to what has happened?
■ We are helping the people involved by doing anything in out power that
will benefit them. We will give further information when we know more.
What can we expect next?
■ More information will come with further knowledge about the situation.
If you are not sure of the cause, what are your speculations?
■ N/A
When were you notified that something happened and how long did it take you to
send out a response?

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 ■ Once we found out information about the player we sent it out. The hit
was shown on live television so it was instant when stakeholders and
viewers watched him get taken into the locker room.
Have laws been broken? If so, what laws?
■ There were no laws broken.
What steps have been taken so far and what do you plan to do in the future?
■ We are currently assessing the information given to us and the player.

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 Step 18: Web Page

The Internet Services Developer Charles Chitwood, who serves as both the webmaster and the
President, can be reached via cchitwood@nfl.org.

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 Step 19: Evaluation

After the crisis, the Crisis Communication Team should evaluate the effectiveness of their team,
the Crisis Communication Plan they put into place, and the impact of the crisis on their
organization as well as the stakeholders surrounding it.

Crisis Communication Team (CCT) Evaluation

Communication between members of the CCT was efficient and effective.

1 2 3 4 5

Communication between the CCT and the organization was efficient and effective.

1 2 3 4 5

The CCT had the necessary knowledge and expertise to make informed and effective decisions.

1 2 3 4 5

The CCT had the necessary preparation and training to effectively lead through the crisis.

1 2 3 4 5

An area where the CCT exceeded expectations was:

An area where the CCT could have improved was:

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 Crisis Communication Plan (CCP) Evaluation

What worked well when applying the CCP?

What worked poorly when applying the CCP?

The Crisis Directory was accurate and comprehensive.

1 2 3 4 5

The Crisis Inventory was informative and directive.

1 2 3 4 5

The list of emergency personnel and local officials was correct and informative.

1 2 3 4 5

The pre-gathered information was useful and applied to many areas of the crisis.

1 2 3 4 5

How effective was the organization’s crisis communication overall?

What steps will be taken to improve the CCP for potential future crises?

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 Impact Evaluation

Rate the following based on the crisis and the organization’s response to the stakeholders,
employees and those affected:

Stakeholder well-being:

1 2 3 4 5

Affected personnel well-being and safety:

1 2 3 4 5

Pre-crisis reputation score:

1 2 3 4 5

Post-crisis reputation score:

1 2 3 4 5

Media and social media coverage:

1 2 3 4 5

Stakeholder feedback:

Employee feedback:

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 Works Cited:

- https://www.disabled-world.com/health/neurology/cte.php
- https://www.nfl.com
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22035690/
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334641263_A_strategic_approach_to_sports_cr
isis_management_Assessing_the_NFL_concussion_crisis_from_marketing_and_public_r
elations_perspectives
- https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/basics/concussion_symptoms.html
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy/#:~:text=Chronic%20tr
aumatic%20encephalopathy%20(CTE)%20is,are%20based%20on%20ex%2Dathletes.
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/diagnosis-treatment/drc-2035
5600

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