"You can play flag football:" Romo on board with Favre comments to stop tackling in youth football

BURLINGTON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The game of football has gotten safer, but apparently it’s still not safe enough for Packers legend Brett Favre.

Favre is backing legislation in Illinois that would ban tackle football for kids younger than 12 years old.

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and Wisconsin native Tony Romo said Thursday he agrees full contact should start later on.

“I’m not entirely sure that tackling in third grade makes you a better junior in high school,” Romo said. "You can play flag football.”

Romo held a football camp Thursday in Burlington, where players don’t tackle until sixth grade.

Steve Tenhagen, Burlington’s football coach, says head injury is too great a risk.

“We definitely make sure that we’re aware and we watch for those kinds of things,” he said.

The Concussion Clinic at Aurora Sports Health in Lake Geneva has a team of staff to treat head trauma.

Dr. Stephen Peterson says if it were up to him, players wouldn’t hit each other until high school.

“We see that about six out of 100 athletes on a football team during a season will have a concussion,” Peterson said.

He says concussion symptoms can range from dizziness and confusion to depression and problems at school.

High school trainers say they find athletes to be more informed than ever, and thus they’re more cautious.

“Everyone’s a little more worried about it,” said Mike Reagles, an Aurora trainer who works at Badger High School. “We’re finding out some of the long-term effects so it’s in the media a lot more. It’s being talked about.”

At the Burlington camp, Tenhagen says they’re not only talking, but also applying safer tackling techniques.