NFL Concussions
By: Aramis Dixon
Growing up in United States (especially in Texas) football seems like the closes thing to God. From Pop Werner football to the professional level football is and will always be America’s game or America’s favorite sport. Football is a very demanding sport both physical and mentally, but the price NFL football players would pay would be more mental than physical. The NFL’s players are known for their big hits and amazing catches down the field, but as of lately the NFL has put a lot of focus and effort into NFL players safely, mainly concussions.
A concussion is a minor traumatic brain injury that may occur when the head hits an object, or a moving object strikes the head. In 2007 the NFL started a study that consisted of over 2,500 former and retired NFL players. The results showed that players who have experienced at least three concussions over their playing career would triple their risk of depression. The tests from the concussions also indicated that more NFL players suffer from memory loss after retiring from the NFL. Other tests showed that concussions could lead and have led to some NFL players’ suicide, such as Jovan Belcher, O.J. Murdock, and Kenny McKinley.
The NFL developed a system called “Concussion Watch”. Concussion Watch reports every head injuries (including concussion) from week to week bases. It also gives you a list of players and their injury and a report. In 2009 the NFL Concussion Watch reported that these injuries could increase by 9 percent from the last season. In 2009 the NFL average 5.4 players, 2010 average 7.6, and 2011 average 8.4. The Concussion Watch reported in 2009 that teams had up 128 players with concussions or other head injuries weekly during the regular season (which consisted of 16 weeks.). In 2010 the number would increased to 129 players and in 2011 it increased by 13 (142). Concussion Watch is predicting 155 players to suffer from concussions or other head injuries. If...