Maple Valley teen is NFL's guest at Super Bowl

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Maple Valley teen is NFL's guest at Super Bowl

Zack Lystedt continues recovery from injury that spurred sports-concussion laws in 50 states
Brian Donohue

Zack Lystedt's long road back from a 2006 head injury included moments of bliss this past weekend. Not only did he watch his beloved Seahawks win the Super Bowl, but he and his parents were at the game as guests of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

At age 13, Lystedt sustained a near-fatal concussion in a youth football game. The circumstances of the injury helped spawn the Lystedt Law in Washington state, which requires young players who might have suffered a head injury to be medically evaluated before they return to play. The law grew into a nationwide movement, with state after state passing similar legislation.

Mississippi, the last state, passed its concussion-awareness law Jan. 30.

Lystedt graduated from Tahoma High School in 2011, and continues to receive physical therapy from UW Medicine rehabilitation specialists. His parents credit surgeons at Harborview Medical Center with saving Zack's life.