With football season approaching, many fans and sports analysts are eagerly anticipating the return of the sport. However, new studies have shown a very dark side of football when it comes to concussions and hits to the head. The NFL always had a concussion problem, but with this new CTE study, it's a life-or-death situation.
A Boston University study on CTE shows how many players are affected with the degenerative brain disease in the future. Dr. Ann McKee, a neuropathologist at Boston University, studied the brains of 202 deceased football players, with 111 from NFL players. The results of the study were absolutely astounding.
McKee found that out of 111 NFL players, 110 had CTE. Out of the 202 total brains studied, 177 had evidence of CTE. Dr. McKee broke down the NFL brains by position. The position most prominent from the study have been linemen, who knock heads on almost every play they are in. In the study, 44 linemen were found with CTE.
The interesting thing to note, however, is that studies show that the accumulation of non-violent hits to the head is more dangerous than hard concussions. This may be why linemen are often diagnosed with CTE after their passing.
This does not mean one position is safer than the other. With these new studies, every player in the NFL should be concerned about their health and safety. This is very true for older players who are still in the game, especially with those of prominence like Tom Brady. Even though quarterbacks are some of the most protected players on the team, that does not mean they are safe from CTE. Ken Stabler, for example, asked Boston University to study his brain when he was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. When they studied his brain, they found that he had a moderate case of CTE.
The future of football should not be the same. Prominent players have already shown concern after the study came out, with some even retiring from the sport. More students are probably going to opt out of playing football in college, while student-athletes might opt out of playing professionally. To say that this study will change the attitude towards football is an understatement.
With this groundbreaking study, NFL and NCAA teams should take more precaution when it comes to the health of the players. New technology should be made so players can be safer from hits to the head. Even if this does not happen immediately, changes need to be made so that players are not at risk from cheap shots and hits to the head. If they are not made, then playing football could mean life or death.
