On another note, 100% of deceased former NFL players had either knee problems, aching backs, and/or some fingers just didn't look like fingers should. The number of surgeries to correct physical injuries far exceeded the norm for people of the same age, also.

Wow...that's staggering

 

It is indeed. Wow.

I think it is only a problem for those that play well into adulthood. But I am no expert, just a guess on my part.

 

My thinking as well. I played all through college, granted the first two of those I never stepped on a game field & was hurt the entire season my freshman year due to an ankle injury.

 

I have my helmet from my senior year of high school and college. I show it to kids every year for these reasons: In high school, I never came off the field. My helmet though looks like I never stepped off the sideline (hands and feet). Senior year of college? Same...hardly scuffed up at all.

 

I could wake up tomorrow and not get out of bed, know who I am or my wife and kids..who knows...but, I would like to think that the ways I was coached to play the game (drilled over and over and over and over) by some of the best our state has ever known will go a long way for those of us who had the opportunities to play for them.

 

I'm 11 years removed from playing my last football game, and how I don't get out of bed in the mornings doing "1-2 Bench" (for DL...1-2 your first two steps...bench press the OL chest plate to create separation & getting your head out of there) is beyond me

I would think a lot of leading with the shoulder and arm tackling. I don't remember ducking my head a lot playing tackle in the back yard. I stayed up high.

Clotheslining, is now illegal...old timer!

 

When end you get a chance simulate making a tackle with someone, leading with your shoulder and tell me where your face is. If you hit with the front of your shoulder, near the chest, that puts your face in front or even with your shoulder, unless you want to lean backwards, if you miss that moving target a little it is right in your face. So, the natural instinct is to duck your head to save your eyes, nose, and face. If you can condition someone to run full speed at a running back and tackle them by putting their face in their first hoping their shoulder hits the mark, that would be unbelievable. Let's not forget the running back is not exactly going to give you a good surface to make contact with. I see a lot of diving at knees and ankles, along with tackling with your head down and yes arm tackling or just jumping on them when they go by. I foresee running backs just absolutely trucking defenders, if there were no helmets.

I may get blasted for this, but here goes. We are all going to die...nothing we do or don't do will prevent this. How many people are killed in auto accidents every year, yet I get in my vehicle and drive everyday.

 

I played football up until I was 23 years old, and during that time every practice and game I received head contact. I wouldn't change a thing. If my son wants to play football, I will gladly let him, because the lessons of GRIT, hard work, and working as a cohesive unit on a team far outweigh the negatives.

 

I have had knee surgeries, shoulder surgeries, I am sure concussions...it's a gladiator sport, there are bound to be side effects, just like there are side effects to me typing at my computer right now.

 

I would rather LIVE life, than live scared and in fear of everything that comes down the pike.

I'll have to turn on my Google machine but I'm pretty sure I've read that the brain is so , for lack of a better word, undeveloped as a youth that hits at the age cause damage.

Not saying it doesn't but it just seems to me that the ones affected the most are the ones who play the longest. Kind of a long term cumulative issue more than any thing.

 

I would like to see a study of those that only played youth, up to high school, up to college(different levels), and pro to compare the findings after they reach say 50, then 60, and 70. Just to get a better grasp on the issue.

 

Side note grammar police...did I use affected correctly? Or should it have been effected? I tend to go with what sounds right because I can't remember the rules.

I may get blasted for this, but here goes. We are all going to die...nothing we do or don't do will prevent this. How many people are killed in auto accidents every year, yet I get in my vehicle and drive everyday.

 

I played football up until I was 23 years old, and during that time every practice and game I received head contact. I wouldn't change a thing. If my son wants to play football, I will gladly let him, because the lessons of GRIT, hard work, and working as a cohesive unit on a team far outweigh the negatives.

 

I have had knee surgeries, shoulder surgeries, I am sure concussions...it's a gladiator sport, there are bound to be side effects, just like there are side effects to me typing at my computer right now.

 

I would rather LIVE life, than live scared and in fear of everything that comes down the pike.

 

You call it being scared and in fear. I call it being smart. You only get one shot at it, so not sure why you shouldn't try to maximize the quality of life you lead.

Very misleading, of course the people who are choosing to have their brains studied after death and suicide are the ones who will be most likely to suffer from brain damage. Yet another stat that is spun to paint football in a negative light.

 

I have no problems with kids playing football, letting my kids play football or anything else. These numbers don't do anything to support football being anymore dangerous than originally thought.

The fact that you can get a concussion without your head striking or coming in contact with anything makes it impossible to eliminate them in football. A whiplash type effect can cause a concussion as well. But if the blows to the head were reduced by some out of the box way of thinking it would help tremendously.

 

Co-worker got rear ended yesterday and didn't hit her head on anything. They diagnosed her with a concussion from whiplash.

You call it being scared and in fear. I call it being smart. You only get one shot at it, so not sure why you shouldn't try to maximize the quality of life you lead.

 

I guess it's what you determine as quality of life. From the time I was 9 until 23, I really enjoyed playing football. That was a huge quality of life for me at the time. I miss that a lot of days...

I like to drink beer, but that's not good for me...I like greasy food and red meat...there are lots of things out there that can decrease my quality of life (in scientific terms), yet enhance my quality of life because I enjoy it...

 

What happens in 10 years when we find out that looking at smartphones for more than 2 hours a day causes?...

Just like auto racing fans looking for car crashes, the American football fan thirsts for violent collisions during games...Jack Tatum...Ronnie Lott...any of a bunch of Bear middle linebackers over the years, etc.

I like the speed at which technology and the rules are trying to make football safer, but let's be honest for years this was a game that coaches and programs didn't have the safety of players in mind. Those are the results of the study.

 

2015 is a different football world.

On one hand the info is scary. On the other hand, some of the smartest, most successful people I know and encounter on a regular basis, played football. At my high school, I'm aware of at least 10 valedictorians who played football. We always seem to focus on the guys that end up with CTE, but never talk about how many guys don't, and end up being big successes after their career. Almost 5 million people have Alzheimer's. Millions more get cancer. Horrible things can happen to you even if you never play a down of football in your life. And I've seen football literally save kids...keep them off the streets, get them into college, create a better network of friends. There's too much positive going on with football, to willingly try to keep kids out of it.

I may get blasted for this, but here goes. We are all going to die...nothing we do or don't do will prevent this. How many people are killed in auto accidents every year, yet I get in my vehicle and drive everyday.

 

I played football up until I was 23 years old, and during that time every practice and game I received head contact. I wouldn't change a thing. If my son wants to play football, I will gladly let him, because the lessons of GRIT, hard work, and working as a cohesive unit on a team far outweigh the negatives.

 

I have had knee surgeries, shoulder surgeries, I am sure concussions...it's a gladiator sport, there are bound to be side effects, just like there are side effects to me typing at my computer right now.

 

I would rather LIVE life, than live scared and in fear of everything that comes down the pike.

 

This is kind of where I stand. At the same time my kids have chosen not to play football for whatever reason and it doesn't bother me at all. I'm actually more torn up that they never liked baseball.

I guess it's what you determine as quality of life. From the time I was 9 until 23, I really enjoyed playing football. That was a huge quality of life for me at the time. I miss that a lot of days...

I like to drink beer, but that's not good for me...I like greasy food and red meat...there are lots of things out there that can decrease my quality of life (in scientific terms), yet enhance my quality of life because I enjoy it...

 

What happens in 10 years when we find out that looking at smartphones for more than 2 hours a day causes a person's IQ to decrease?

 

Fixed it for you.