Essay on Concussions in Football - 1122 Words

Even though football players are aware of the dangers the game can bring upon them, they take part despite it. The passion, the joy it creates; for professionals it’s also the devoted fans and compensation they receive is what keeps the players motivated. Today players are much bigger, faster, smarter, bigger, better. The game is more physical. The sport has never been so competitive. The popularity has reached new peaks, as much that the NFL has thoughts of moving a team to London, England. Additionally, Super Bowl XLVII (47) was one of the most watched television events of all time; an astonishing 108.4 million viewers (The Associated Press). Fans worship their teams and love to see big hits. Football is a contact sport; injuries are no†¦show more content†¦Most importantly this sort of injury is linked to CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). CTE is a brain disease found in individuals with annals of head trauma. It has specifically been found in athletes with numerous concussions. So far it can only be diagnosed in the deceased, but Dr. Julian Bales and his staff in UCLA have discovered symptoms in living players such as Hall of Famer Anthony â€Å"Tony† Dorsett, Hall of Famer Joe DeLamielleure, and NFL All-Pro Leonard Marshall. CTE can cause memory loss, dementia, depression, suicidal thoughts, cognitive and emotional difficulties (Waldron par 1, 2, 3). Is it a compelling issue? A total of 171 concussions were reported in the NFL in the 2012-2013 season; 88 thus far in the 2013-2014 season (Frontline pt). Those are just numbers in the professional level. There are thousands of kids playing football either in youth, middle school, high school, or college level. The diagnosis is currently in progress, researchers are optimistic this could lead to a legitimate treatment, how to manage, and hopefully a cure. Furtherm ore, this can also possibly lead to an answer to a connection between football and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Junior Seau, Mike Webster, Terry Long, and Justin Strzelczyk (all of whom are dead now) are all men who played in the NFL for an extent period of time. This is not the only thing they have in common. These former players had an uncustomaryShow MoreRelatedConcussions in Football1778 Words   |  8 PagesConcussions in football A traumatic brain injury (TBI) also known as a concussion is a serious health problem to athletes, especially to football players. The brain controls the body and gives a person personality and defines every aspect of his or her life. A brain injury can disrupt a person’s life in an instance and like broken bones or bruises; TBI can limit or prevent normal body functions. A brain injury, unlike common injuries can damage mental abilities to include memory and speechRead MoreThe Effects Of Football Concussions On Football Essay1540 Words   |  7 PagesThere are many consequences to playing football, but the greatest is concussions. Football is a game of tackles, sacks, and other hard hitting plays that involve big men playing their hearts out. Within the game of football, whoever has the ball is the one to be hit the hardest, on most plays. These immense blows to the body and head lead to awful injuries, both physically and mentally. Most players will be injured in some way during their football career, with the worst injuries being those thatRead MoreConcussions in Football Essay1381 Words   |  6 PagesCONCUSSIONS IN FOOTBALL 1 Effects of Concussions in Football CONCUSSIONS IN FOOTBALL 2 Football has become the most popular sport in America. Boys start playing at the age of 6 and, if they turn pro, could play into their 30’s or even 40’s. Some people will say, â€Å"They know what they’re signing up for† or â€Å"The players choose to play the game†. Just because they may choose to play the game, does that mean that they don’t deserve the very best protectionRead More Concussions in Football Essays1400 Words   |  6 Pagesphysically demanding on the human body as football. The physical toll that football players pay is almost impossible to comprehend unless one has actually played the sport for a significant amount of time. However, until recently any connection between the hits taken by football players and their health down the road was largely ignored. A common, yet difficult injury to detect in football is a concussion, the most common traumatic brain injury (Pearce). A concussion is defined as â€Å"a brain injury th at isRead MoreConcussions On Football : Is It Worth It?928 Words   |  4 PagesConcussions in Football: Is it worth it? There’s no doubt that concussions in football has become a major problem, not just for the professional athletes, but for kids of all ages from age 8 to 19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shown that concussion have doubled in the last decade and The American Academy of Pediatrics says that, â€Å"emergency room visits for concussions in children ages 8 to 13 years old has doubled, and concussions have risen 200 percent among teens ages 14 toRead MoreConcussions in Football Essay864 Words   |  4 Pageson the ground, his head cracks back and hits the turf with tremendous force; and despite wearing a protective football helmet, the quarterback suffers a severe concussion. Concussions happen weekly in the NFL to players of all positions due to the tremendous force these players are hit with weekly and need to be noted more carefully. The short and long term effects of multiple concussions can be devastating to the human mind. Not only does the brain suffer long term physical damage, players oftenRead MoreThe Effects Of Concussions On American Football1295 Words   |  6 PagesConcussions have been known about since the early 1900s. During this time concussions did not receive the attention that it receives now. In mainstream media today concussions are a growing issue, not only in professional sports but also at high school and college levels. It is believed that Dr. Bennet Omalu was the first person to come up with a study and show that concussions are very dangerous and the great effects it has. His focus was mainly towards American football but it was helpful to othersRead MoreConcussions On High School Football1208 Words   |  5 PagesDavid Roby Professor Oldfield Composition II 26 October 2015 Concussions in High School Football â€Å"It didn’t cross my mind that I wouldn’t see him come of that field,† Amy Stover says while sitting on her living room couch (Gregory 34). Six months earlier her son, Chad Stover, made a tackle, got up and waddled off towards the sideline feeling a little woozy (Gregory 34). Two plays later he felt good enough to return to the game and did so (Gregory 34). His team huddled up, and that is when it happenedRead MoreThe Effects Of Concussions On The National Football2335 Words   |  10 Pagessmoking and football are a lot alike. Concussion are bad. Assuming a working brain is needed to function. Helmet to Helmet contact is pretty scary, especially if it is watched over and over again on tv. Concussions in the NFL are a serious issues. Players, current and retired are impacted to the degree of having long term damage and having mental disorders. It is up to the National Football League to make the necessary changes for a safer program and †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦... Concussions in the National Football LeagueRead MoreConcussions On The National Football League1549 Words   |  7 PagesThe National Football League, more commonly known as the NFL, has had growing cases of retired players that suffer from mental trauma or mental diseases from concussions. A concussion is a short loss of brain function following a direct or indirect force to the head. Concussions are extremely difficult to diagnose because the damage is seemingly invisible to the naked eye. Although the damages may not be present, the effects are long lasting. Concussions are plaguing retired NFL players and affecting