For those living with long-term brain injuries, a new therapy may offer a path forward

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Rico Petrini remembers the early days of high school football — the excitement, the intensity and the hits that came with playing linebacker. Back then, he said, getting “your bell rung” was something teammates laughed about.

“I probably had at least 8 to 10 concussions in high school,” Petrini said. “We used to laugh about, oh, he’s seeing stars.”

Football was more than a sport for him. He studied it, lived it, and eventually drew the attention of more than 100 colleges. He chose Oregon State, but by the time he stepped onto the field there, he said the damage had already piled up.