If the Pro Football Hall of Fame were to designate a wing honoring the 1990s Buffalo Bills, Mark Kelso’s oversized “Gazoo” helmet would have to be included, somewhere between a Leon Seals’ “Dr. Sack” license plate and an edition of Ray Bentley’s “Darby the Dinosaur.”

He might not be the most famous Buffalo sports figure to ever sustain a concussion, but Kelso remains the first player many think of when it comes to preventing head injuries.

Kelso told BuffaloBills.com in 2003 that the protective foam covering his actual helmet prolonged his career after “probably three or four concussions.”

Kelso, who now provides color commentary for Bills radio broadcasts, will be the featured attraction Sunday at the Preventing Athletic Injuries interactive expo at The Summit in Wheatfield. The program, presented by Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, the Niagara Police Athletic League and University Sports Medicine of Niagara begins at 1 p.m. and will also include presentations from physicians, CPR training and various vendor tables.

“You’d be surprised at the number of kids that know [Kelso] went through concussions,” said Art Eberhart, executive director of the Niagara PAL. “Now they probably are getting it from their parents, which is good. But there are many kids who are congnizant of what he did with the Bills.”

Though the event will also feature presentations on heat illness and knee and shoulder injuries, the emphasis will be on concussions, said Tony Surace, manager of sports medicine and athletic training for NFMMC.

“There is such a gray area among kids and parents on return to play guidelines,” said Surace, who is also the head athletic trainer at Niagara Falls High School and coordinator of the Competitive EDGE Sports Performance program.

Dr. Gurinder Rai will discuss concussion prevention and treatment from 1:30 to 2 p.m., Surace said. Kelso will then speak for about 15 minutes on his experiences with concussions.

Dr. William Wind, Jr., an orthopedic surgeon with University Sports Medicine of Niagara, will then present on knee and shoulder injuries common to athletes. University Sports Medicine provides service to the Bills, Sabres and several local intercollegiate and interscholastic sports programs.

“Most of [the presentation] will be discussing the treatment of an injury,” Wind said. “By the time an athlete gets to see me in the office, they already have an injury.”

Dr. Scott Darling will speak on heat illness issues. According to the National Federation of High Schools, 19 football players nationwide died from heat stroke-related incidents between 1995 and 2005.

“The three doctors that are presenting have really asked to get out there,” Surace said. “It’s really unusual for doctors and surgeons to get out and do that. They’ve asked me a few times to do something to get out to the schools and parents.”

Why? Eberhart said: “The safety of the kids is paramount.”

Contact reporter Jonah Bronstein at 282-2311, ext. 2258.





IF YOU GO

• WHAT: Preventing Athletic Injuries interactive expo

• WHEN: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday

• WHERE: The Summit mall in Wheatfield

• MORE INFO: Call 286-7038