If you follow sports and specifically football you know about the news of Junior Seau committing suicide, by shooting himself in the chest, not before texting his ex-wife and kids saying “I Love You.” I’ve been watching football since I was around 7 or 8 years old, I also began collecting Limited Edition sports cards and he immediately was one of my all time favorites. I remember having his rookie cards and most of them after that, along with a lot of other football players. Almost 2 years ago my best friend passed away and he was a big fan of his, to the point that he wore #55 on the football field.
The big issue here is the concussions having major issues to former players who were in the league. Recently we’ve had former Bears defensive star Dave Duerson also shooting himself in the chest, and he sent a text telling his family to have his brain researched. Months later neurologists confirmed he suffered from a neurodegenerative disease linked to concussions. Symptoms can vary but according to Children’s Hospital Colorado Orthopedics Institute, there are some immediate signs including:
-A headache that gets worse, lasts for a long time or is severe
-Confusion, extreme sleepiness or trouble waking up
-Vomiting three or more times
-Weakness, numbness or troubled walking or talking
-A seizure or Convulsion (arms or legs shake uncontrollably)
-Any other sudden change in thinking or behavior
Not only we’ve had Junior Seau and Dave Duerson committing suicide linked to concussions they had in there NFL careers but 62-year-old former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray Easterling shot himself also. His wife said he developed symptoms of dementia after his football career. Easterling filed a federal lawsuit in Philly against the NFL in 2011 over its handling of concussion-related football injuries, claiming the league knowingly knew the injuries and the game were linked.
There have been several lawsuits being filed against the NFL by former players who are dealing with the rigors of these concussions after there playing careers are over. There are 1500 former players, who are filing lawsuits against the NFL, which they’ve been bunched together by the NFL and we’ll see the results of this action in the near future and hopefully it gives the ex-players not only the help they desperately need but also be compensated also.
Recently, Kurt Warner spoke out about not only, the fear of his own well-being but also hoping his kids choose not to play football. This is the Kurt Warner, who not only was targeted by the Saints bounty program but also received numerous concussions during his playing career.
Researchers in Colorado enacted new laws requiring athletic coaches to be trained in concussion awareness and prevention throughout the state. Estimates show that on average over 1,500 young athletes end up in Colorado emergency rooms as the result of concussions from sports injuries.
To all the parents, caregivers or whoever else. Would You Reconsider your child playing football? Not only, we’ve seen the long term affects of these concussions, but we have also seen how many young athletes end up in the hospital as a result of concussions. Now we know kids can get concussions from baseball, basketball and other sports. But most of the concussions are coming from the impact in football. I really don’t know what I would do but I’m happy my son chose basketball over football.