stepped down. >> the right-hand man to tagliabue is running the show... >> tagliabue will be succeededoodell... >> narrator: his second- in-command and closest aide, roger goodell, took over. goodell had grown up in washington, the son of a united states senator from new york. early in his career, he worked as former commissioner pete rozelle's driver. >> he basically got his job by writing to the commissioner and saying, "please, i'd like to work in the nfl." >> narrator: it took goodell 24 years to work his way to the top. he was chief operating officer when the league's scientific committee sent those controversial papers to the journneurosurgery. >> here's a guy who spent more than half of his life in the nfl and more than anyone should be acutely aware of sort of the dangers that are lurking in this problem. >> narrator: now goodell was fully in charge of the league's handling of the concussion crisis. he soon replaced the rheumatologist dr. elliot pellman and promoted the neurologist dr. ira casson. >> dr. ira casson, who is an expert, but an abrasive person who is contemptuous o