– as if every player tried to tackle him simultaneously, they'd still not bring him to the ground.

But Meade, a 1978 Dover High School graduate and former NFL player, was ultimately forced to give up the sport he loved after concussions took their toll over his four-year career.

And while he joined other players in a lawsuit against the NFL for concealing the risks of head trauma, his relationship with the league isn't an adversarial one. Meade is representing the NFL's new Heads Up Football program, a $1.5 million outreach effort designed to help educate youth players and coaches about player safety and the perils of head injuries.

On Oct. 3, Meade paid a visit to the MOT Youth Football & Cheerleading League practice in Middletown to meet with playersearly or gets hurt, they're likely to give up on the sport and go play something else," Meade said. "This program is about keeping kids safe and getting them to develop good habits early, but it's also about preserving and growing the popularity of the game."

Page 2 of 2 - Ken Anderson, president of MOTYFCL, said coaches were being educated as well. Earlier this year, Anderson and a group of his coaches attended a concussion-awareness clinic at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., where they received certification from USA Football and the Heads Up program.

"The culture of football has changed," Anderson said. "When I played it was all about being to take – and dishing out – the big hit. But that's changed and it's all about just