A new study from the American Academy of Neurology is offering more in-depth research about the potential health risks involved in playing football and the conclusion indicates that the traditional helmets worn by athletes are simply not safe enough.

Although the spotlight for football injuries and risks tend to be on the professional football fields as we continue to see a number of current and former NFL players suffer from irreversible health issues, the study stressed the huge impact that brain injuries could have on our youth athletes -- especially the injures that are not immediately noticeable.

"Protection against concussion and complications of brain injury is especially important for young players, including elementary and middle school, high school and college athletes, whose still-developing brains are more susceptible to the lasting effects of trauma," said the study's co-author, Frank Condi, who serves as the director of the Florida Center for Headache and Sports Neurology.

In addition, the study revealed that football helmets only reduce the risk of brain injuries by 20 percent. It gets even more complex from there as the study also found that different helmets are beneficial in various ways but also detrimental in other ways. Condi elaborated upon the different forces that cause the brain injuries and described it in depth.

"Alarmingly, those that offered the least protection are among the most popular on the field," Condi said. "Biomechanics researchers have long understood that rotational forces, not linear forces, are responsible for serious brain damage including concussion, brain injury complications and brain bleeds. Yet generations of football and other sports participants have been under the assumption that their brains are protected by their investment in headwear protection."

What do you think about this study? Do you think this country needs to start re-evaluating whether football is even safe enough for people to play? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.