Concussions in sports

Eagles wide receiver grimacing after headshot.

                 Over the past several years the awareness when it comes to concussions in sports has grown significantly.  The National Football League has altered their rules in an attempt to prevent these injuries from occurring.  These injuries went from being referred to as “getting your bell rung” to now being taken more seriously.   Just a decade ago players would take a head shot and even some got knocked out, but they would still go back in the game.  Since then retired football players have gotten together and decided to sue the NFL because they feel the league knew about the severity of concussions but failed to notify the players.   The NFL in the past 5 or so years has become a much safer league. Helmet to helmet hit on defenseless receivers and quarterback are now a penalty and a finable offense.   That’s a step in the right direction. However there still has been cases in which a player has been concussed during a game and still returned.

           

 Miami Dolphins player taken off the field on stretcher after being concussed

             Kris Dielman who is an offensive lineman for the San Diego Chargers suffered a concussion during a game against the Jets in late October of 2011.   He even stumbled in the huddle but was still left.  On the flight home that night it was reported that Dielman had suffered a seizure as a result of the concussion.  Dielman was out the rest of the season and has just recently announced his retirement from professional football to prevent more head injuries.

            During the week 17 matchup between the Patriots and Dolphins, Miami Quarterback Ryan Tannehill hit his head on a play and took a while to get up.  When he did he stumbled and fell.  His teammate then helped him up and he still stumbled.  He finally got up but had trouble walking to the sideline.  CBS commentators Jim Nance and Phil Simms both believed he was concussed.  The cameras focused on Tannehill to see if he would get looked at by doctors.  Instead he was studying the playbook and getting coached up.  The next Miami possession Tannehill played.  A few plays later, Miami Tight End Anthony Fasano was hit in the head and was immediately taken out due to a head injury and did not return.   That begs the question of why was Fasano taken out but Tannehill left in.  Keep in mind that Miami was long eliminated from the playoffs and Tannehill was a high draft pick who is considered Miami’s franchise.  

             

 Former NFL Linebacker Junior Seau, believed to have taken his own life due to severe head trauma from playing. 

              
               Why after all of the rule changes are these players playing and risking further more serious head injury.  Not only will the NFL lose money when they are sued, the players’ lives are affected and put at risk every time they take a shot to the head and suffer a concussion.  Yes these players are making a lot of money for playing football, but an NFL career is not too long on average to begin with.  Concussions are an injury that cut careers short if not lives.  After a player retires they still have the rest of their life to live.  If a player retires at the age of forty, that’s still at least 25 more years where they have to deal with the long term symptoms of concussions. Why is it worth the risk?  When 49er’s former starting quarterback Alex Smith was asked if he regrets notifying his coaches and doctors about his concussion, he replied   “No, no, no, not at all, I mean, we’re all going to be done with this game at some point. We’ve got a lot of life ahead of us. You err on the side of caution with that head stuff. There’s no brain transplants that I’ve ever heard of. You only get one. It’s not something to mess around with.”   That is something for everyone especially athletes to think about.