Will Smith to play role in movie about former Steelers center Mike Webster

Academy Award-nominated actor Will Smith will play a role in a movie about former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster and the beginning of the NFL's brain

Academy Award-nominated actor Will Smith will play a role in a movie about former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster and the beginning of the NFL's brain injury crisis, according to a report from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

The movie, which is set to be filmed in Pittsburgh, is called "Game Brain" and is based on a 2009 GQ article exploring the criticism Dr. Bennet Omalu faced for his investigation into football-related brain injuries.

Omalu, Smith's character in the film, documented evidence he found analyzing Webster's brain after his 2002 death in a medical journal, leading to the discovery of the degenerative brain disease CTE in multiple deceased ex-football players.

Pennsylvania awarded "Game Brain" $14.4 million in film tax credits, according to the report.

The film comes as the NFL faces scrutiny and litigation over trauma-related brain injuries suffered by former players. An NFL spokesman declined to comment and told the Tribune that the film's makers had not reached out to the league.

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-- Chris Johnson