A Life of Hurt

I read some comments from a former NFL player talking about the physical maladies he has suffered since being injured in training camp back in 1980. He suffered what turned out to be a career ending eye injury during a drill. He was placed on Injured Reserve with a detached retina.

He recently had another eye surgery to address ongoing vision problems which have effected him for years. Other problems include numerous knee, shoulder and back issues.

He was able to make it back to training camp in 1981, but received an injury settlement from his team. He never played a down in the NFL, but has a body of one who played for 10 years.

We often never hear about the problems experienced after their playing days are over. Rodney Harrison has been very open in talking about his severe headaches. He claims to have suffered at least 20 concussions in his career, but the actual figure is probably much higher. His state of health could be much different in ten years.

The life expectancy of former NFL players is 20 years less than for other men. Something needs to be done to reverse that process. Football players tend not to age gracefully. Some never get to that age and die way too young.