Nearly half of Patriots on first three Super Bowl-winning teams report brain injuries

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Some 42 of about 100 Patriots who were members of New England’s first three Super Bowl title teams have alleged in a landmark class-action concussion suit against the NFL and the helmet maker Riddell that they have experienced symptoms of brain injuries caused by the repetitive head impacts they absorbed in games and practices.

While many of the former players remain functional and some say they filed claims chiefly as insurance against future cognitive problems, there are 37 retired Patriots younger than age 40 who say they have been affected by football head injuries.

Some 68 former Patriots defensive backs joined the concussion lawsuit. They include Otis Smith, who helped win the franchise’s first Super Bowl in 2002 when he intercepted St. Louis quarterback Kurt Warner and returned the ball 30 yards to set up a field goal in the 20-17 victory.

Now 52, Smith initially was reluctant to speak publicly about his head injuries because he said he hopes to coach again one day. He later consented and said he is coping with mood swings and other symptoms that he described as common among his former Patriot teammates.

Smith said he may have been harmed by playing in an era before the NFL developed comprehensive concussion protocols. As recently as the early 2000s, Smith said, “If you took a bad hit and got dizzy, they called it a stinger and gave you some smelling salts and you were back on the field again.’’

Several other defensive backs, including Clayborn, Fred Marion, and Lawyer Milloy, are among 60 members of the Patriots’ All-Decade teams who have filed complaints alleging they were damaged by football head blows.

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