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Throw some dirt on it. That is what a lot of coaches and even some parents would say to young football players who looked like they had suffered a minor injury. Throwing up on the sidelines? Just part of the game. Shake out the cobwebs and get back on the field.

But the attitude about injuries especially those that could signal a concussion or a brain issue is rapidly changing. The National Football League recently reached a $765 million settlement with former players over concussion-related lawsuits, and this week, two University of Arizona football players announced their college careers were over earlier than planned because of concussions.

Dr. Jonathan Lifshitz is an associate professor in the Department of Child Health at the U of A’s College of Medicine in Phoenix. He worked with football players when he was at the University of Kentucky’s Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center.