NFL Should Look to High School Players for Concussion Studies
A recent article by CNN is stunning. A 17-year-old high school quarterback in Kansas died in November 2011 due to repeated hits to the brain while playing football. Nathan Stiles was playing for the Spring Hill Broncos when he collapsed on the bench of the final high school game in the 2011 season.
Stiles’s bleeding brain was too much for his body to handle. He died later that night in a Kansas hospital after hours of surgery.
What made the death so shocking to researchers was that there were protein levels found in his brain tissue that were indicative of a boxer in his 70s. Stiles suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) which is a form of dementia caused by repeated blows to the head.
The young man’s life was cut short by a concussion that hadn’t fully healed yet, despite doctors clearing him to play. If that case doesn’t make college and pro teams take notice about the problem of concussions, nothing much will.
The Washington Post just reported that a contentious lawsuit filed by former NFL players regarding concussion safety is far from over. League attorneys claim the players can’t file a lawsuit and must go through the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement.
Attorneys for the players disagree and want the matter settled in court. Players allege the NFL is negligent and should have warned players of concussion dangers rather than ignore the problem.
The issue of NFL concussions comes down to money. The league doesn’t want to necessarily soften rules. NFL play is more exciting when offensive players get thrown to the turf by super fast defenses. Jarring hits are an accepted part of the game.
Except when a 17-year-old dies due to the sport’s inherently violent nature. Football has a nasty place in American society. Sports are a metaphor for war. Taking out humanity’s aggression on a swath of territory 120 yards long and 50 yards wide is a time-honored tradition that gives permission to players to destroy the enemy within the scope of the rules.
With the unfortunate death of Stiles, parents now need to ask themselves what is more important in their son’s lives. Is the slight chance of fame and fortune in an NFL stadium worth the possible sacrifice of someone’s quality of life later on? With so many former NFL players suffering from dementia due to their repeated on-field hits, young football players should be taught by parents and coaches alike that football may lead to drastic life changes as they grow older.
With this new case, concussions are no longer just a problem for the NFL. The difficulty goes back even younger to a time when kids should be enjoying life instead of worrying whether or not they may actually die because of football.
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