Nfl Player Safety Essay

American football has been around since the early 1900's. The players tackle each other until one is on the ground. Football has always been a full-contact sport. Throughout the years injuries have stayed part of the game and the NFL has taken their time to increase player safety. The NFL should increase player safety because of the injuries have occurred. Some of the injuries may be lifetime injuries. Serious brain injuries have been linked to football as, well as heart issues and other permanent heath problems.

Many memories are made in football, but sadly some of the greatest players cannot recall them. The National Football League has been associated with concussions and brain traumas throughout the years, but lately it has been exposed by media and NFL veterans. The league recently “reached a $765 million preliminary settlement with thousands of former players who were suing the league over its treatment of concussions…” (Waldron). Many former players are experiencing the effects of taking hard hits over and over again; they were not properly treated, which makes the injury worse and long term. The concussion issue in the NFL is more prevalent today, because it affects not only the players, but the league as a whole.

Over the past several years, the NFL has faced numerous lawsuits involving former NFL players and their families ranging from negligence, fraud, and wrongful death conspiracy from related head traumas suffered while playing professional football. Several studies have shown that there are long-term and devastating effects on football players who consistently experience concussions during regular season play and practice. There is

In 2007, the NFL finally started to take steps to slow down the rate of concussions in football (Lauren Ezell). Although concussions still occur today, there are specific protocols that were inserted to protect players’ health. This topic is so important to me because I am a big fan of the sport, and I would hate to see my favorite players end their career with disabling conditions. I hope to the see the NFL continually trying to find ways to limit concussions. I believe that one day football can be played without the risk of living the rest of your life with a critical

Over the past couple of years the National Football League as well as other football associations have witnessed a rise in the occurrences of severe head trauma to players resulting in concussions. One of the NFL’s top priorities is the health and safety of their players. These NFL players bring an abundant amount of joy and excitement to their wild, raving, die hard football fans across the nation. However, these mens’ health today and for decades to come is equally if not more important than their careers that often last an average of 4 years playing football. Despite the increase in the number of concussions in football, leagues are doing all they can to prevent concussions by implementing new rules, provide new and improved equipment,

In September, all around the country, football fans are preparing for the tailgating, football parties and eating, but none are looking forward to head injuries. As time goes on fans, officials, and players are becoming aware of the elevated numbers of head injuries that happen every day in the NFL. Football has been America’s sport for almost 100 years, but the overall statistics and continuous arguments involving concussion rates do not seem to agree. An increasing number of NFL players have shown signs of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), indicating that the NFL’s inconsistency in enforcing regulations to prevent concussions is resulting in a significant risk to players’ long term physical and psychological health issues.

In February 2011 an NFL defensive player committed suicide and left a final note requesting his brain be donated to Boston University School of medical research where it was found that all his head injuries had caused long-term brain damage. Another NFL star that committed suicide, Junior Seau, was one of the toughest defenders to ever play the game. While playing Junior Seau was never sidelined for head injuries he sustained. According to his ex-wife Seau had multiple concussions throughout his career. (Velasco 2012) This is an example of the culture in the NFL of being “tough”, and not coming off the field no matter how severe the impact is. Research done at the University of Texas had results that showed individuals who have concussions in early adulthood have a higher chance to develop depression when they get older compared to people that haven’t had concussions. (Stong 2013)

"From what I've researched and what I've experienced, I don't think it's worth the risk” (“Chris Borland”). This quotation from former San Francisco 49er, Chris Borland, exemplifies the concern for the increase in occurrence of concussions in the National Football League. A concussion is defined as “a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a blow to the head” (“NFL Concussions”). The debate on who is truly responsible for the injury’s increasing presence in the NFL continues to be disputed in the league today. Whether the blame is to be placed on the administrative personnel of the league or the players and their actions, change is the one common denominator in the stances taken by both sides. The National Football League is not doing enough

“There are between an estimated 1.6 and 3.8 million sports-related concussions in the United States every year”(“Statistics”) Concussions can lead to death or permanent injury. A concussion is a brain injury that causes long term brain damage. Some football players will hide injuries, so that they can continue to play the game. Rules have been changed to protect the players health, for example if a player is suspected of have a concussion they are not permitted to play without getting checked out. Football concussions have a long lasting effect on physical and mental health. Concussions also affect how the game is played and regulated.

One of the most controversial discussions in sports today is concussions and how the athletes who play sports are being protected. Concussions in the NFL has been a constant argument over the past decade because of not only the number of players who were diagnosed with concussions but also in addition to the number of retired NFL players that reported having depression problems, drug addictions and eventually taking away their own lives by suicide. Football is know to many as “Americas game” and because of this fans live for and look forward to these hard hitting brut athletes that suit up and take the field for battle each week not knowing the facts on how concussions not only ruins the athletes chances of playing again but affects the brain

But recently we’ve also seen and heard more of a disease that is hurting players within the NFL. It’s causing present and former players to file lawsuits against the NFL and Riddell- NFL’s official partner and the largest football-helmet manufacturer. The real issue with concussions is that lives are at stake. This tragic fact become clear in 2006 when former Philadelphia Eagle star Andre Warner committed suicide by shooting himself. Studies on his brain later showed that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). A form of brain damage from repeated blows to the head and results in demetria. This disease was first seen from pathologist Bennet Omalu who tried to spread the awareness throughout football players even though the NFL had tried to block his research and “deny the existence of the disease.”(NFl’s answer to concussions: Sports science) The NFL has now even estimated the one-third of its former players will develop dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or other types of debilitating neurological disorders such as Parkinson”s disease and ALS. But head injuries can be found in young children up to major league players. According to Game Changers Stefan Duma has recorded more than 150,000 head impacts that football players have endured from the age of seven to the Virginia Tech Hokies football team. In The Helmet That Can Save Football professional football players may receive up to 1,500 hits to

The NFL is big part of many Americans life during the fall and the off season. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry that hosts the most watched 4 hours of television in America. As an athlete who played football for many years, I wanted to ask the question; is the NFL’s new rules and penalties preventing concussions? During the first two weeks of April, I have compiled six different resources relating to this topic. Some, such as Trevor Horn’s article "Tackling seminar teaches new methods, inspires faith in safer football” cover the aspects of how youth and high schoolers are effected by concussions and what role the NFL plays. Other articles talk about research being put towards helping diagnose brain trauma in athletes, and also whether or

A great majority of kids and adults football careers are ending shortly because of brain damage and concussions. To this day scientist and people in sports are trying to find a way to decrease the number of brain damage and concussions. There been so many head injuries in the game of football. It got real serious over the past 20 years. In the NFL and College football league, players and coaches can know if someone have a concussion because of the technology they have at the game. It’s mandatory for every team in college, and in the NFL to have doctors and the technology they have at each game they have.

Science says concussions are inevitable; 96 percent of all NFL players and 79 percent of all football players test positive for brain disease (Source: Frontline League of Denial 9/18/15 Concussion Watch Article). Prior to 2002, the NFL’s approach to preventing, treating, and managing concussions and CTE was very different than it is today. My essay will explore what some of those differences were and whether or not changes in the NFL are improving the outcomes and quality of life for current and former NFL players.

Football can be a very dangerous sport. And although those who play the game believe that they are being protected by the helmets that they wear, the truth is that this may not be the case. In a recent study released by the American Academy of Neurology it has been found that “protection against concussion and complications of brain injury is especially important for young players, including elementary and middle school, high school and college athletes, whose still-developing brains are more susceptible to the lasting effects of trauma”(Science Daily, 2014). The study also found that standard football helmets worn by the majority of players on the field today, only reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury by 20 percent compared to not wearing a helmet at all (Science Daily, 2014).