In all professional sports, players get a certain level of wear and tear on their bodies. In football, the permanent damage to players' bodies is more prevalent than most people care to believe. A disease called chronic trauma encephalopathy, or CTE, has been shown to affect a high percentage of former football players. This disease can cause memory loss, mood disorders, and aggression. CTE is caused by repeated head trauma which can result in atrophy of certain areas of the brain. In an article on Pbs.org, a study by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University claims that 87 out of the 91 deceased former NFL players tested for the disease did, in fact, have CTE. It is also believed that at least 79 percent of football players have this disease in some capacity directly due to their football careers.

Knowing the causes and symptoms of this disease, it seems logical that athletic trainers and coaches would want to take more precautions to protect the health of their players and of all athletes. However, many people in the sports world are skeptical of the results and implications of this data. For example, CTE can only be fully diagnosed posthumously, so that does not help diagnose all living former or current players affected by the disease. However, brain scans can reveal some signs of the disease in living players.

To decrease the risk of this disease in NFL players, more rules and precautions need to occur on the level of the players and the officials. The NFL has actually gone to far lengths in order to brush aside the evidence that constant head trauma, whether minor or more severe, can cause serious health issues. Most of the resistance to these claims come from those with "vested interest in football." It is sad that those in charge of the league and the teams themselves do not have their players' best interests in mind. The safety of players should be the first priority in all aspects of the game.

Specifically, research has shown that 40 percent of players with the disease are offensive or defensive linemen, which is consistent with the idea that this disease is caused by the repetitive minor head trauma that someone in that position would constantly face. This disease is also not limited to professional athletes. CTE has been found in high school, college, and professional players. The truth is that hundreds of football players have been diagnosed with this disease, and if rules and regulations are not adjusted, more people will continue to be seriously injured.