NFL players were diagnosed with more concussions in 2017 than in any season since the league began sharing the data in 2012, according to information released in January. According to the NFL, there were 281 reported concussions during the preseason and regular season, including practices. The previous high was 275 in 2015.
One of the major long-term side-effects of concussions is chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative condition many scientists say is caused by head trauma and linked to depression and dementia.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association diagnosed CTE in 177 former players – nearly 90 percent of brains studied. That includes 110 of 111 brains from former NFL players; 48 of 53 college players; nine of 14 semi-professional players; seven of eight Canadian Football League players; and three of 14 high school players. The disease was not found in brains from two younger players.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett was diagnosed with CTE in March 2017. Dorsett said he gets lost when he drives his two youngest daughters, ages 15 and 10, to their soccer and volleyball games.
“I’ve got to take them to places that I’ve been going to for many, many, many years, and then I don’t know how to get there,” Dorsett said.
The 1976 Heisman Trophy winner and eighth all-time leading NFL rusher said he has trouble controlling his emotions and is prone to outbursts at his wife and daughters.
“It’s painful, man, for my daughters to say they’re scared of me.” After a long pause, Dorsett tearfully reiterated, “It’s painful.”
The NFL added two new rules to combat this epidemic: one to prohibit players lowering their helmets to initiate contact, and another to reimagine the kickoff.
The helmet rule, which carries a 15-yard penalty, a potential fine and possible ejection, has received a lot of attention. Some players can’t envision a recognizable form of football without regular instances of lowered heads.
“It’s the nature of football leverage. You’re taught to get your head underneath another guy’s chin. I understand what they’re trying to do, to make it safer. But I don’t know how much you can take away from this game before it stops being football,” said David DeCastro, guard for the Pittsburg Steelers.
That is a big part of the problem. How much can you change the rules before it stops being football? Football is the heart of America, whether we like it or not, and fundamental changes to the game can break an already fractured fan base.
Other players like Free Safety for the Baltimore Ravens Eric Weddle wonder if these rules are even about the safety of players.
“If they really cared about safety, they wouldn’t have Thursday night games,” Weddle said. “Are they really concerned about the players? I’m fortunate enough to play this game, and I’m grateful. But I think they’re always trying to quick-fix things. Let the game be the game.”
Though the NFL has said Thursday Night Football has no effects on the amount of injuries sustained in the games, research has shown otherwise.
On weeks when a team plays on Sunday, then has to turn around and play another game three days later, the rest they get is greatly diminished. This leads to increased injuries.
The NFL is standing behind their rule changes, reiterating their commitment to prevent injuries, specifically concussions.
“There’s no question it’s hard on them,” Rich McKay, the chairman of the NFL competition committee, said. “But they need to adjust. We’re not doing this to do anything other than make the game safer.”
