The NFL will be giving suspensions in 2011 in order to decrease head and neck injuries in football, especially to those they classify as “defenseless players.”
A defenseless player now is classified as several things, from a quarterback in the act of throwing, a player fielding a punt or kick, or a receiver trying to catch a pass.
Assuming that the 2011 season doesn’t go down due to a litigation lockout, the NFL has some work to do to figure out exactly what differentiates a legal hit from an illegal hit.
Will The Sport Be Safer?
Many wonder if NFL suspensions will actually decrease head injuries in football.
The truth is, there are very few small collisions in football, but many high risk ones. Past research and comments from past players say this is a necessary step in moving towards safety, and it might also work.
Many players put their bodies at high risk for a payout. As Hall of Fame ex-linebacker Harry Carson says, “They want the car. They want the bling. They want to have a nice life.”
By the time a player gets to the NFL, he’s had plenty of time to acquire head injuries playing football his whole life.
1.2 million high school students play football, but on a yearly average, between 43,000-67,000 suffer concussions. Experts say the actual numbers are probably higher because more than 50 percent don’t report their symptoms.
A study in 2000 with 1,090 former NFL players found that at least 60 percent had suffered from a concussion once in their careers, while 26 or more suffered through three or more.
The rules, which still have to be worked out, may bring down concussions. Through suspensions, high-risk hits on “defenseless players” could decrease.
The Gruesome Long Term Effect of Head Injuries
Studies and testimonials from ex-NFL players have shown that long term play has serious consequences.
A study with twelve donated brains of ex-NFL, college and high school football players showed that they were completely shattered and caked with tau protein.
Tau is acquired through repeated head injuries, causing a disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The symptoms include sudden memory loss, paranoia, and depression during middle age.
Former football players are also more likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s. Since 2007, the NFL has spent more than $7 million for treating former football players for Alzheimer’s and dementia. Their rate of Alzheimer’s is 19 times greater than what it is for men between the ages of 30-49.
Enforcing suspensions on hits that may cause head and neck injuries is just one step in attempting to address the problems that former NFL players endure.
Sources:
NFL Suspensions and Head Injuries: The Suspensions Rules
NFL Suspensions and Head Injuries: TAU and former players
