Johnson’s remarks to Michael Smith of ESPN underscore the fact that, not too long ago, it was very easy — too easy — for players to get their hands on potent narcotics.

 

“I guess my first half of my career before they really, you know, before they started looking over the whole industry, or the whole NFL, the doctors, the team doctors and trainers, they were giving them out like candy, you know?” Johnson said, via the Washington Post.

 

“If you were hurting, then you could get them,” Johnson said. “It was nothing. I mean, if you needed Vicodin, call out, ‘My ankle hurt,’ you know. ‘I need, I need it. I can’t, I can’t play without it,’ or something like that. It was simple. That’s how easy it was to get them. So if you were dependent on them, they were readily available.”

 

Calvin Johnson underscores how easy it was to get painkillers | ProFootballTalk

But no plant based medicines, that will get you booted for a year...

Yes I will keep watching. :idunno:

Calvin Johnson also said that he believes a concussion happens on every third play of a game.

Nothing in this article surprises me. The athletes go into this business thinking they are the core, but they truly are just expendable parts that get replaced for the machine the NFL actually is.

 

If you are a top tier athlete in college football and think that the NFL is your life ticket, you have to be either ill informed or desperate....

 

I can't see how anyone, other than possibly a kicker or second / third string quarterback could see the NFL cash as a viable alternative to your health and life.

 

...but I was indestructible once as a young person also.....

Nothing in this article surprises me. The athletes go into this business thinking they are the core, but they truly are just expendable parts that get replaced for the machine the NFL actually is.

 

If you are a top tier athlete in college football and think that the NFL is your life ticket, you have to be either ill informed or desperate....

 

I can't see how anyone, other than possibly a kicker or second / third string quarterback could see the NFL cash as a viable alternative to your health and life.

 

...but I was indestructible once as a young person also.....

 

I don't know BB, I think they are the core because without them there is no NFL. I think the NFL realizes they have to take care of the players or there will be no product. I think they are headed in that direction but the NFL has to do WAY more. The supply also has to realize he needs to be smarter, safer and take care of himself on and off the field.

 

And YES, if I could have played NFL football I would have done it in a heart beat.

I don't know BB, I think they are the core because without them there is no NFL. I think the NFL realizes they have to take care of the players or there will be no product. I think they are headed in that direction but the NFL has to do WAY more. The supply also has to realize he needs to be smarter, safer and take care of himself on and off the field.

 

And YES, if I could have played NFL football I would have done it in a heart beat.

 

As long as there is poverty or national TV contracts, there will be Pro Football. The money is better than ANYTHING else 99.9% of these guys could accomplish with a mere college degree. Out of the guys who retired early, who came from abject poverty? I'm not thinking many.

A friend of mine played at a major D1 school and his experience is somewhat similar to the NFL. The players that get injured and come off the field on their own strength, get walked into the tunnel and have a needle stuck wherever the injury is injected with whatever kind of pain killer they use and then sent back to the field. Pretty crazy how even at the college level they really aren't that concerned with players overall health.

I don't know BB, I think they are the core because without them there is no NFL. I think the NFL realizes they have to take care of the players or there will be no product. I think they are headed in that direction but the NFL has to do WAY more. The supply also has to realize he needs to be smarter, safer and take care of himself on and off the field.

 

And YES, if I could have played NFL football I would have done it in a heart beat.

 

As long as there is poverty or national TV contracts, there will be Pro Football. The money is better than ANYTHING else 99.9% of these guys could accomplish with a mere college degree. Out of the guys who retired early, who came from abject poverty? I'm not thinking many.

 

There will never be a shortage of those willing to sell their soul for the potential...that's why I say they are totally expendable.

Yes I will keep watching. :idunno:

 

It gets harder and harder every year to watch.

But no plant based medicines, that will get you booted for a year...

 

Amazing ain't it....

Jason Taylor said towards the end of his career, it got so bad for him that they were giving a shot to numb the area so they could give him another shot for the pain.

 

Now it's not the fault of the NFL here, but look at all the players that have some drug problems after they retire. But like Guru said, I'm still going to watch

But no plant based medicines, that will get you booted for a year...

 

I'd love to see the amount of money spent on narcotics by the NFL. #BigPharma

It gets harder and harder every year to watch.

 

Giants are due for a good season lol jk

Nobody forces them to play, until they stop I'll keep watching.