League says reported concussions drop 25 percent

PHOENIX (Reuters) - The National Football League said on Thursday the number of reported concussions dropped 25 percent during regular season games in 2014 compared to the previous campaign. There were 111 concussions reported in 2014, down from the 148 during the 2013 season and down nearly 36 percent from the 173 in 2012, the NFL said during its annual pre-Super Bowl health and safety news conference. "Players are changing the way they're tackling," said Jeff Miller, the NFL senior vice president of health and safety policy. "They're changing the way they play the game." According to the NFL's data, 52 concussions were caused by helmet-to-helmet hits in 2014, which is 28 percent below last season and 43 percent lower than in 2012. A group of retired players who were part of a groundbreaking lawsuit over concussions suffered on the field accepted a proposed settlement last year that was worth $765 million. The proposed settlement would ensure payments of up to $5 million will be guaranteed to any retired player who develops neurological impairments, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Lou Gehrig's Disease. (Reporting by Frank Pingue, editing by Gene Cherry)