After the brain injury coverage recently in Time magazine and on ESPN’s “Outside The Lines” of NFL Players, I have been inundated with letters and emails from former football players around the country who are still having neurological issues long after sustaining concussions during their playing days. You would think the mail would be coming from former professional players, instead the mail has been coming from guys in their 30s, 40s and 50s who never played on the NFL level. These guys played on the high school and/or college levels but not beyond that. Their emails bring me to a point of understanding that there are some major problems with concussions sustained in contact sports (but especially football) that have not adequately been addressed by anyone. It seems that the head trauma “train” which is not solely an NFL issue but in this case (a football issue in general) is coming down the track and is rapidly picking up speed! Something is going on with concussions in football that needs to be brought into the spotlight for all to understand.
If any readers of this blog played football on any level and sustained a “ding”, got your “bell rung” or flat out got a concussion in a game or in practice and is still dealing with neurological issues (headaches, depression, inability to focus, etc.) as a result I’d like to hear your story.
Harry Carson
Harry – Joe is slowly recovering from his concussions. I have begun researching concussions and student athletes and I am alarmed with the statistics! I know that the work you are doing is going a long way towards bringing this important issue to the forefront and it is something that we, as a society, have overlooked for far too long. Thank you!
Hi Harry
In response to the above article; I can fully appreciate and accept that the debate regarding concussions of pro, semi-pro and amateur football players is indeed a serious issue, and one that needs investigating. However; I cannot help but have concerns regarding the potential effects of these discussions on pro-football’s future landscape.
For years now I have watched and loved football due in part to the high impact physical nature of the game, this making it unique amongst professional sports and so appealing to millions of fans worldwide. For me its a simple risk vs reward senario. Essentially players entering the NFL know the risks associated with playing the sport but equally know the huge rewards that are in touching distance. When athletes make the choice to play in the NFL; it is exactly that, a personnal decision knowing the risks vs rewards. Its a similar siuation to that of pro, semi-pro and amateur boxing.
To quote Heinz Ward; my worry is that the topic of concussions will make the NFL “soft” and remove the very element that makes the sport so dynamic. If players choose to enter the arena who are we to argue!? I’m completely in favour of keeping players safe but lets not ruin a great sport in the process!
P.S
After playing amatuer football for 14 years as a WR I’ve taken and dealt some significant hits but its all part of the game and in my view a good part. Let players play!
Kind Regards
Iain Pearson
Lancashire
England
Harry,
Harry,
Let’s start a Carson Football Foundation which the NFL, NFL Players Association, NCAA, and high schools can tribute too. The money will go for:
1. Proactive research into making better head gear for current and future football players.
2. Proactively promote rules which protect against head injuries.
3. Promote clean play by educating football players at every level, to guard against helmet to helmet shots.
4. Promote proactive ways to indentify concussions or any sort of head trauma, and how to deal with it.
5. Come up with ways to give support to each individual with neurological issues as a result of a football injury. With the right amount of funding, the cost should be free, which we could work closely with private and public insurance.
6. University research into improving problems with neurological trauma.
7. We could place ads on college and NFL football games, using the words of current and former well known players.
8. Perform several fund raising dinners around the country and to help promote the cause to fight head trauma in football.
The key is to pool the knowledge and resources for one cause. I just learned today that tight end Casey FitzSimmons of Detroit announced his retirement due to several concussions and remaining neurological issues.
We could have a slogan, “Play hard and smart!” Protect yourself and others! We could stress proper technique without using the head shot.
Let’s do something about this! Life is too short to stand by and watch this happening. I want to be part of the cause.
Matthew from Michigan, MBA