Head Trauma Too Much for Athletes?

Safety in football has been a growing concern for athletes and parents alike, but may have recently spiked with professional players caught deciding between fun and their futures.

On March 16 rookie linebacker Chris Borland of the San Francisco 49ers left the NFL after deciding long term damage from head injuries outweighed his growing salary.

Borland retired from the league at the young age of 24 in what seems to be a growing trend of concern for repeated head trauma in the sport.

According to espn.go.com, more than 70 players have been diagnosed with progressive neurological diseases and other studies found correlation between the constant head trauma leading to brain damage with additional issues. Many additional cases are not reported.

Former football stars like “Iron Mike” Webster of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dave Duerson of the Chicago Bears and Junior Seau from the San Diego Chargers were diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy as a result of trauma endured from their football careers.

Concussions among football players, at any level, sadly are a common occurrence. Even players at Stephen F. Austin State University have suffered head injuries during the football season. Starting from before junior high to high school to college and further, by the time a player retires chances are he has had at least one injury.

Personally, I knew a player in high school who had suffered three concussions, so his mother pulled him out of football for good during his senior year. Both the player and his mother decided the damage to play was not worth it.

The question stands though, how can we make a cherished sport safer so it can be enjoyed by many for years to come?