Earlier this month, the NFL announced it would no longer use “race norming” — a controversial practice that assumes a lower level of intellect for Black players.
The practice made it harder for retired Black players to qualify for a concussion settlement claim.
Toi Cook played for 11 years in the NFL, and his claim was rejected by the league despite being diagnosed by an acclaimed neurosurgeon. In an interview for "LA Times Today," Cook joined Spectrum News 1 anchor Kelvin Washington with the story.
Cook says he used to play football with a man named Loni White, who used to be a writer for the LA Times. He says White took one of the most vicious hits he has ever seen while in training camp.
“All the coaches said was 'good play Gene Atkins,' and I was shocked. So, every single day, it was those kinds of collisions. That is the world we lived in, the world of demolition derby,” Cook said.
When he found out that the NFL will no longer use race norming, Cook was not surprised or impressed. “They say 'race norming,' I say redlining; they say 'race norming,' I say the Tulsa massacre. It is the same old, same old. And to have our lawyer Christopher Seeger apologize for setting up a system in which he got paid but we didn’t, is that apology supposed to make me feel better? Especially when I qualified according to them, they came to find out that it was a rigged system. And when you say rigged system to a Black or brown person, that is like the sun coming out; we are used to it. But, this is unacceptable,” Cook said.
According to Cook’s neurosurgeon, he was supposed to receive a $1.2 million settlement. But, when the NFL rejected his claim, he says he felt misrepresented and did not get an explanation for why his claim was rejected.
“Thankfully, two players came out and found out about the race norming. When I talk about how Christopher Seeger representing us, it makes me think of all the people in mass incarceration that have been misrepresented. So, then I start going down that rabbit hole; it is a bigger picture, but there are a lot of people in jail who are in jail, who are misrepresented,” Cook said.
Even though he retired from the NFL more than 20 years ago, Cook says there are still lingering effects today.
“I think there is a story that is to be determined. If you talk to my wife of 30 years, she will agree that there are some issues. I have seen David Duerson and Junior Seau who, highly intelligent beings, that I am talking to them and three years later, they shoot themselves. So, it is not about wondering if you have it; the question is, when do you get it? I think the league should offer a different settlement to the players, call it an offer and a compromise," Cook said.
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