AMNA NAWAZ: Last night's Super Bowl, with more# than 100 million viewers expected, capped a major## year for the NFL.

In 2023, NFL games accounted# for 93 of the 100 most watched TV programs.

But the risks of the game have been# well-documented.

And, for some,## that's changed how they see kids# tackle football.

For others,## including in the town of Lexington, Mississippi,# the commitment to youth football remains high.

This report comes to us from and Shirley# Povich and Howard Centers of Journalism## at the University of Maryland, and the# student correspondent is Sapna Bansil.

SAPNA BANSIL: Like many kids in Lexington,# Mississippi, R.J. and Mason Redmond have## been playing tackle football on this field since# they were 5.

It's a place that fosters big dreams.

You know what you want to be,# both of you, when you grow up?

BOY: Yes, ma'am.

SAPNA BANSIL: What do you want to be?

BOY: An NFL player.

SAPNA BANSIL: You want to be an# NFL player when you grow up, huh?

How about you?

BOY: An NFL player.

SAPNA BANSIL: Really?

Parents enroll their.. kindergarten, with an eye on where the# sport can take them.

Currently, one in## every 385 Lexington residents plays football at# a Power Five school, considered part of the most## prominent conferences in college athletics.

It's# one of the best rates of any town in the country.

And it inspires Mason and R.J.'s father# to imagine what's possible for his sons.

RONALD REDMOND, Father: When we're# watching the NFL games on Sundays or## Saturdays or whatever the case may be, I# tell them that that can be you out there## on that field.

It all boils down to what# you want.

If you want it, you can get it.

SAPNA BANSIL: Lexington, a town of nearly 1,200# people, is 77 percent Black.

It's in the second## poorest county in the nation's poorest state.# Nearly 35 percent of people live in poverty.

RONALD REDMOND: We live in here in Lexington,# Mississippi, which is Holmes County, a small## population.

And the opportunity for kids is at a# bare minimum.

We have no swimming pool here.

We## have no community swimming pool.

We have no tennis# court.

The basketball court is bare minimum.

SAPNA BANSIL: In a place like Lexington,## football doesn't just benefit the few# who become stars.

It helps open do.. according to Marcus Rogers, the head football# coach at Holmes County Central High School.

MARCUS ROGERS, Head Football Coach,# Holmes County Central High School:## Football, it will teach you about life.

It's# like now I'm not playing football anymore,## and I tell the kids all the time, football set me# up to do what I'm doing today.

And I didn't play## in the NFL.

I played high-never college football,# but it set me up with relationships with people.

SAPNA BANSIL: A 2023 Boston University study found# that those who start playing tackle football at an## early age or play it for more than 11 years are at# greater risk of cognitive and behavioral problems.

As a result, many communities around# the country are turning away from youth## football programs amid health and safety# concerns.

Tackle football participation## is down 13.2 percent from 2019 to# 2022 among kids 6 through 12.

But## communities of color have a higher# tendency to stick with the sport.

Some, including Marcus Rogers, say# safety around the sport has improved.

MARCUS ROGERS: In these times, football# is as safe as it's ever been.

I don't## force it on anyone because it has to be# something you want to do because it's## tough -- tough personal sport, whether# you're a female or male trying to play.

SAPNA BANSIL: But that's not the only reason# communities of color are sticking with football.

A Povich and Howard center poll found that Black# and Hispanic parents are nearly twice as likely## as white parents to see youth football as a# path to college scholarships and even the NFL.

RONALD REDMOND: Out of all these kids over the# state of Mississippi starting out at 5 and 6## and 7 or 8 years old, now somebody is going# to end up in the NFL.

It's going to happen.## Somebody is going to push it to the screen and# they're going to end up in the NFL somewhere.

SAPNA BANSIL: Last season, nearly 40 children# ages five through 12 played for the Colts.## All were Black.

Since the Colts were founded in# 1999, only two white players have ever enrolled.

Colts CEO Sherri Reeves said a# big part of the reason for that## is white and Black students in the# town don't attend school together.

SHERRI REEVES, CEO, Lexington Colts: There's# really very little intermingling socially## among the kids that are black and white in# this community.

It's rooted and grounded in## a mentality that has been and overshadowing,# and I'm going to say Mississippi in general.

SAPNA BANSIL: Lexington itself is still# dealing with the consequences of a long## racial divide.

A Confederate monument stands in# the town square.

The town's police department## remains under investigation by the Department# of Justice for alleged civil rights violations.

Some families say the path to a better# future may involve tackle football.

And## some of those success stories# began with the Lexington Colts,## as well as nearby teams in Durant and Tchula.

But# football can't keep every kid on the right path.

MARCUS ROGERS: I have lost a couple of football# players in the last few years, more than a couple,## you know?

We have lost a few students per year,# gun violence, drive-by shootings, stuff like that.

So, we will continue to work with these guys and# try to get them to have a different mentality.

SAPNA BANSIL: For the "PBS NewsHour"# and the Povich and Howard Centers at## the University of Maryland, this is Sapna# Bansil reporting from Lexington, Mississippi.