Christopher Nowinski Christopher John Nowinski ( September 24 , 1978 ) is an American author and retired professional wrestler . He is best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment from 2002 - 2003 . His WWE career ended after sustaining a legitimate concussion in January of 2003 . Since his retirement , Nowinski works as an author . Career . Nowinski was one of the three finalists on WWE ' s first series of " Tough Enough " , which Maven Huffman won . After failing to win the competition , Nowinski would make appearances in independent promotions before finally being hired by WWE and entering its developmental territories . Wrestling as Chris Harvard , Nowinski made his most major independent appearance in London , England for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance promotion at its " Lights Camera Acton " show on December 14 , 2001 . Nowinski competed in its main event teaming up with Alex Shane to defeat Drew McDonald and Flash Barker . Though this was the only show Nowinski did for the promotion , he regards its as the best promotion he has ever worked for outside of WWE . He was billed as " WWE ' s Harvard graduate " ; he is a genuine Harvard University graduate with a B . A . in sociology . On the June 10 , 2002 edition of WWE " RAW " , Christopher Nowinski debuted in the WWE , helping William Regal beat Bradshaw in a WWE European Championship match . Nowinski and Regal formed a short - lived team , helping each other win matches . On the June 17 , 2002 edition of " RAW " , Christopher Nowinski defeated Spike Dudley in his WWE in - ring television debut . In October 2002 Nowinski started a feud with his former " Tough Enough " teacher Al Snow , with Nowinski defeating his former teacher on a few occasions . Late in November 2002 Nowinski brought Maven Huffman into this feud saying he shouldn ' t have won " Tough Enough " . In December 2002 Nowinski formed a short - lived tag team with D ' Lo Brown . This duo defeated Al Snow and Maven on two occasions , one being on the December 8 , 2002 edition of " WWE Heat " and again on the December 9 , 2002 edition of " RAW " . The following week on " RAW " ( December 16 , 2002 ) Nowinski defeated Maven by pulling Maven ' s tights . Nowinski and D ' Lo then went on to feud with Test and Stacy Keibler , which feud Maven briefly involved himself in . In late January 2003 , Nowinski went back to singles action when D ' Lo received the managerial services of Theodore Long and formed a race angle . Christopher Nowinski participated in the 2003 Royal Rumble , entering 3rd , being eliminated 2nd by Rey Mysterio and suffering a concussion in the process . From this point , Nowinski worked matches with the Ohio Valley Wrestling WWE developmental territory and was used as a jobber on " RAW " and " WWE Heat " . In late March 2003 , Nowinski began a feud with Scott Steiner , with Steiner winning each of their matches . On the April 14 , 2003 edition of " RAW " , Steiner made a patriotic speech during which Nowinski informed Steiner that " his 3 minutes were up " as 3 - Minute Warning came out and squash ed Steiner . Over the next few weeks , Nowinski aligned himself with 3 - Minute Warning and Rico to continually crush Steiner . This lasted a few weeks before 3 - Minute Warning began their own feud with Steiner . Nowinski remained on " HEAT " for the next few weeks . On the May 26 , 2003 edition of " RAW " , Christopher Nowinski helped Rodney Mack defeat Bubba Ray Dudley in a " White Boy Challenge " and joined Theodore Long ' s group " Thuggin ' And Buggin ' Enterprises " , a group of African Americans who worked a race angle in which they portrayed themselves as being victims of racism and being held down by the " White Man " . This group included Theodore Long , Rodney Mack and Jazz . Nowinski ' s former tag team partner D ' Lo Brown was an original member of the faction but was kicked out and attacked by Rodney Mack after a few weeks because , after a month of victories , he lost his first match under Long ' s management . Brown was released from his WWE contract a week later . Nowinski helped with Long ' s race angle and formed a tag team with Rodney Mack , starting a feud with the Dudley Boyz . This duo surprisingly defeated the Dudley Boyz at " Bad Blood 2003 " . Nowinski suffered from post - concussion syndrome in July 2003 , having sustained a concussion in the " 2003 Royal Rumble " match , and retired from wrestling . He now does public appearances for WWE and pens a column for " " SmackDown ! " Your Vote " . On December 12 , 2005 , Nowinski made his first appearance in some time on WWE programming ( " SmackDown ! " Your Vote campaign vignettes notwithstanding ) , when he briefly tried to convince Vince McMahon that he should be made the new general manager of " RAW " . Writing career . In October 2006 , Nowinski released a book , " Head Games : Football ' s Concussion Crisis " , which details his career - ending injury and also discusses the dangers of concussions in football and other contact sports . The book includes stories from NFL players as well as fellow wrestlers , with an introduction by Jesse Ventura . Later in the year , Nowinski initiated an inquiry into the suicide of Andre Waters , a former NFL defensive back who shot himself November 20 , 2006 . Waters had sustained several concussions over his career , and at Nowinski ' s behest , Waters ' s family agreed to send pieces of his brain to be tested . Dr . Bennet Omalu of the University of Pittsburgh announced that " the condition of Waters ' brain tissue was what would be expected in an 85 - year - old man , and there were characteristics of someone being in the early stages of Alzheimer ' s . "