23 Facts About Christopher Nowinski

Christopher John Nowinski was born on September 24,1978 and is an American neuroscientist, author and retired professional wrestler.

Christopher Nowinski attended John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois, serving as team captain of the football and basketball teams.

Christopher Nowinski played college football for the Crimson as a defensive tackle, earning second-team All-Ivy League honors.

Christopher Nowinski worked as a pharmaceutical and biotech consultant in Boston shortly after graduation.

Christopher Nowinski decided to study behavioral neuroscience after a 2003 head injury caused multiple symptoms, including a three-year-long headache.

Christopher Nowinski did not begin watching wrestling until his senior year of college.

Christopher Nowinski became one of the three finalists on WWE's first season of Tough Enough, which Maven Huffman won.

Christopher Nowinski competed as Chris Harvard, capitalizing on his status as an alumnus of Harvard University.

Christopher Nowinski made his first major independent appearance in London, UK for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance promotion at its Lights Camera Action show on December 14,2001.

Christopher Nowinski competed in its main event teaming up with Alex Shane to defeat Drew McDonald and Flash Barker.

Christopher Nowinski had a short-lived alliance with Regal, defeating Spike Dudley in his debut match the following week with Regal in his corner.

Christopher Nowinski feuded with The Dudley Boyz through the summer.

Christopher Nowinski teamed with D'Lo Brown to defeat Snow and Maven on two occasions.

Christopher Nowinski continued his feud with Maven into 2003, where Test aligned himself with Maven for a few weeks, successfully defeating Christopher Nowinski and Brown on January 13,2003, episode of Raw.

Also from February to April 2003, Christopher Nowinski made appearances in WWE's developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling.

At Insurrextion, Christopher Nowinski teamed with Mack and Long in a losing effort against The Dudley Boyz.

Later that year, Christopher Nowinski initiated an inquiry into the suicide of Andre Waters, a 44-year-old former NFL defensive back who shot himself on November 20,2006.

Christopher Nowinski contacted Omalu, who discovered the brain was still available, and Christopher Nowinski called Mary Strzelczyk, Justin's mother, to ask for permission to Omalu to examine it for CTE.

Christopher Nowinski came together with Ted Johnson, former New England Patriots linebacker, on revealing symptoms of concussions after Johnson retired from the NFL.

Christopher Nowinski alerted police and the coroner of Chris Benoit, asking them to do a brain exam on Benoit's brain to see if concussions had any part in his rage or depression at the time of the double-homicide of his family and his suicide.

In June 2007, Christopher Nowinski co-founded the Sports Legacy Institute, an organization dedicated to furthering awareness of and research on sports-related head injuries, and increasing the safety of contact and collision sports worldwide.

Christopher Nowinski's work was documented on ESPN's Outside the Lines on September 5,2007.

In January 2023, Christopher Nowinski presented warnings and criticism of an increased prevalence in slap fighting, to include a US based reality show focused on the emerging sport.