Hall of Fame RB Tony Dorsett talks about "concussion syndrome"

Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett is one of the former players suing the NFL over concussion-related issues. (Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett is one of the more than 1,000 former NFL players suing the league over concussion-related issues, and the 58-year-old former Dallas Cowboys star opened up to the Beaver County (Pa.) Times' Mike Bires about what he calls his "concussion syndrome."

"For the most part, I feel OK," he told Bires before hosting the 20th annual Tony Dorsett/McGuire Memorial Celebrity Golf Classic on Monday. "There are some good days and there are some bad days. So I am being proactive instead of inactive."

Dorsett told Bires he has some short-term memory loss. He believes he suffered at least five concussions in his 12-year career and worries about how the long-term effects will impact his life with his four children, including two daughters who are only 13 and eight years old.

"I can slow the process down ... there’s optimism about that," he said. "I feel if I can slow it down, I can stop it. I’m not waiting to see if I’ll be nonfunctional." "Would I have risked my health years ago and gone back on the football field after a concussion if I knew there would be percussions in the future? Hell no!"

"I have young daughters, and there’s a chance I might not be functional when my daughters have kids and I’ll be a grandfather," Dorsett continued.