There were 123 concussions reported in the 2014-15 NFL season, for starters.
As the modern-day gladiator sport, football has been under the gun for producing head injuries. Despite litigation settled against the National Football League, concussions remain at the forefront of NFL health discussions, with families and players coming out to share their side of the story.
Former quarterback Brett Favre, who played 321 games over a 20-year stretch in the NFL, admitted that he’s experienced bouts of memory lapses, a sign of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is directly tied to concussions. Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman, Tony Dorsett and Harry Carson are some of the other legends who’ve discussed how concussions affect their lives.
As a result of the dangerous game, many wary parents are not letting their kids participate in the sport. Pop Warner, the largest youth program in the country, announced that its participation rate fell 9.5 percent between 2010 and 2012. This is a likely reason behind the declining number of high school football players as well.
Even though many of us love the game precisely because of its hard hits, head injuries are undoubtedly a central concern still left largely un-tackled by the league.
Take a look at these statistics:
1. Brain trauma affects one in three players in the National Football League, according to The New York Times.
2. During the 2013 season there were 228 concussions diagnosed, a NFL Health and Safety Press Conference report showed.
3. Pro football players are eight times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s or dementia than the general population, based on The New York Times report.
4. Receivers and corners suffer more concussions than other players.
5. One-third of all concussions are not listed in the league’s official injury report.
6. In 2013 the league dedicated a lump sum of $675 million to settle claims brought by thousands of former players.
7. Roughly 28 percent of former players are expected to have compensable injuries regarding the 2013 claims, according to NFL’s actuaries.
8. The Department of Veterans Affairs brain bank revealed that 76 out of 79 deceased NFL players had CTE, a degenerative brain disease.
9. There’s an average of 167 total concussions in the regular season, including games and practices, according to the NFL Health and Safety Press Conference.
While the league has taken measures to address the problem, some speculate that NFL officials better continue to step up their health game.
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