Football Brain Injuries

887 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effects of cte on football players

In the fall of 2014 Ohio State University football player Kosta Karageorge, went missing. Four days went by with no sign of the young man. Then, after days of searching, on November 30, his body was found, with cause of death being suicide. A day later, on December 1, a study was released about how football hits affect the brain, and how it can affect a person's mental state. Which is believed to be the reason why Kosta took his own life. Brain changes are just one of footballs many effects, which range from dangerous brain injuries such as CTE, to positive effects such as increased confidence. Football is best known for its hard hits, but those ground shaking highlight reel tackles have negative impacts on both the hitter and the recipient, …show more content…

Football is a very physically demanding sport, that can lead to short and long term injuries. These injuries can be as minor as a bruise to something as major as a torn ACL or a broken leg. In Fact, the flexing, puhing and hard hits involved in football, tax your joint, ligaments and muscles. Which lead to immediate injuries such as torn muscles and broken bones, but can also lead to long term injuries such as severe arthritis and joint pain (Tramel 3). Along with the obvious injuries related to football, life long complications can also be caused by participating in the sport. Many of those complications are caused by the weight of the football player. For example football players who are told to be “big” have many long term side effects of their increases weight which can be upwards of 300 pounds. Those side effects range from the obvious obesity to sleep apnea. Infact a 2003 New England Journal of Medicine study found that 14 percent of the active players in the NFL had sleep apnea (Tramel 2). In addition to sleep apnea many larger football players also suffer from obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. This shows that football has football has many negative effects on those that play it ranging from broken bones to long term complications like diabetes and sleep apnea. Now even though playing football has many negative effects there are still several

Show More
Related

  • Cost of Glory: The Issues Surrounding Football Injuries

    728 Words  | 2 Pages

    A big part of NFL’s hold on players is their contract and money. Thousands of young men aspire to be on a professional team, just for the fame, money and title. They are not made aware of the lasting conditions that come with playing football and their everlasting effects. If anything NFL has gone out of their way to discredit the newer research that links playing football with CTE. CTE stands for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which is a disease that has the same effects as dementia and Alzheimer’s, except for CTE leaves tau protein deposition in distinctive areas of the brain, which is what separates C...

    Read More

  • Dogfighting And Football In 'Offensive Play' By Malcolm Gladwell

    1214 Words  | 3 Pages

    As explained early on in this article, football can cause several physical and mental injuries either instantly or in the near future. This is due to the constantly tackling, hitting, and screaming from all the players and coaches. Because of these intense actions, football can increase the chance of dementia-like symptoms in players. This was examined by Ann Mckee, a neuropathologist, who ran several tests in the Veterans Hospital

    Read More

  • Daniel J. Flynn's Argument Of Why Football Does A Body Good

    704 Words  | 2 Pages

    Daniel J. Flynn’s argument of why Football Does a Body Good is extremely convincing. The evidence that he presents throughout the essay debunks the counterargument of how dangerous football can be. The essays is full of statistics and examples of how football can positively benefit you. The facts that are presented are effectively used to refute all the negative claims against the dangers of football. He successfully argues toward the benefit of football by presenting appeals to reason, and showcasing his credibility throughout the essay, but he unfortunately does not keep an unbiased tone for the duration of the essay.

    Read More

  • Football Players and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)

    1761 Words  | 4 Pages

    What does Jovan Belcher, Ray Esterling and O.J. Murdock Have in common? They all were famous football players who commented suicide. Each player had something called chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE. This is a condition where sufferers have had repeated hits to the head that leads to concussions and ultimately head trauma. In this research paper, we will go over the data about the NFL to see could they have prevented CTE in these players if they had placed the player’s safety first.

    Read More

  • Daniel Flynn's Football Does A Body Good?

    1159 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Daniel Flynn’s essay “Football Does a Body Good,” he states his point of view on football and the way people should see it. Football is a dangerous sport that has caused many types of head injuries concussions and other health problems throughout the years. This popular sport has caused many players to develop diseases later on in life, such as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE, Alzheimer 's, and Dementia. One of the NFL’s most pressing issues is concussions, which can have life-changing health effects on the football players.

    Read More

  • Head Injuries in High School Football

    1542 Words  | 4 Pages

    American Football is a huge spectator sport where offensive and defensive players will use teamwork and perseverance to try and score more points than their opponent. Football is highly respected in America, where boys will try and pursue the dream of playing in the NFL (National Football Association) someday; but if you look at an average neighborhood, you will find that kids and adults of all ages love to go out and throw around the pigskin. (Lerner and Lerner 275). One thing Americans will take pride in is the college and NFL football teams they root for. People sit down with a beer and talk hours upon hours of football and two individuals can get in a heated discussion in the local sports store of whose sports team is better. Surprisingly enough, one will find the most passionate football players at the high school level. Most boys will start their football career as a young child in football programs such as Pop Warner to get a foothold and to get those involved in teamwork and friendships. These programs are usually the start to someone falling in love with the sport and making it a career choice eight years later. Football is one of America’s favorite sports. When fall season comes around, people across America are placing bets, finding out where that new sports bar is, and buying wide screen T.V’s to watch NFL on Sundays. After their team plays, they will go out and reminisce what happened that Sunday. While thousands of fans are still pumped from the NFL games they watched; small towns across America are getting ready to shut down their shops and restaurants to have the chance to make it to the local high schools football game. Ray Glier, a reporter for the New York Times, writes about football in the small town of Appala...

    Read More

  • Impact of Concussions on NFL Players

    1757 Words  | 4 Pages

    If you have the brains when you start, you are aware that banging your head into people is not the best thing for your body,” stated Chris Cooley, tight end and a 2 time Pro Bowler with the Washington Redskins (Do No Harm, 2). Research over the years has gathered extensive data on the mental and physical illnesses of retired NFL football players. It has proved that players who accumulate numerous concussions are at a higher risk of health problems after their football career than players who’ve sustained fewer. This data is proven by various studies that have caused worry for many retired NFL football families. The examples of deaths resulting from past concussions are astonishing, and the stats that show high risks for the possible problems can prove why they possibly died. Countless retired players are now frightened by the potential hazard of destructive health problems.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Football Concussions

    1821 Words  | 4 Pages

    At the snap of the ball a whole players world could come crashing down. The game of football holds a whooping 47% of all concussions reported in the world, while ice hockey and soccer trail behind. Football is America’s sport and its athletes become the world’s pride and joy, but what happens when an athlete is injured and is struggling to mentally get better. This topic hits close to home for me because it was the one sport my family praised and adored. My older brother who is now twenty five, played highschool football for the Laconia Sachems. Just the name Sachems is enough to make me get the chills. In 2007 the Laconia Sachems the only undefeated team to go on to win the New Hampshire state championship saw success, but my brother went

    Read More

  • Head Trauma In Athletes

    1049 Words  | 3 Pages

    A. Background In recent years, there has been an increase in research investigating the long-term effects of repeated head trauma on the brain, especially in athletes. Following his discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), Dr. Bennet Omalu inspired a movement of research aimed at establishing better safety standards and protocols in football. It was not until 2002 that the initial connection between repetitive head trauma, such as concussions, and brain injury was suspected (Ott, 2015). As common as concussions were during the late 1970s and 1980s, they were often swept under the rug, as they were seen as insignificant injuries.

    Read More

  • The Concussion Problem in Professional and Amateur Football

    2124 Words  | 5 Pages

    The number of concussions in professional and amateur football has been rising and has sparked much controversy in recent years. These concussions are most likely linked with disease and even the deaths of some pro and semi-pro football players. New research is attempting to solve the problem but the issue is still prevalent in football today.

    Read More

  • Concussions in Football

    1399 Words  | 3 Pages

    Not many sports are as physically 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 “a brain injury that is caused by a sudden blow to the head or the body. The blow shakes the brain inside the skull, which temporarily prevents the brain from working normally” (Heiner pa.5). Reports and studies have surfaced shedding light on just how much damage is inflicted upon the brain due to crippling hits. These studies suggest that NFL athletes who received concussions suffered lasting damage to the brain, which opens the gate to a multitude of other health issues such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and clinical depression (Pearce). This is an aspect of the game that not many are aware of and it is a serous issue that needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later. There have been too many heartbreaking stories such as that of Justin Strzelcyk who heard voices and died in a crash while fleeing police or that of Andre Waters who shot himself in the head after struggles with depression (Zarda pa.1). Many current and former players are suffering in silence; this shouldn’t be the case. The National Football League needs to extend a hand to former players debilitated by head injuries. The problem of concussions and other head injuries in the NFL is one that needs to be tackled head on.

    Read More

  • Concussions in the NFL

    1768 Words  | 4 Pages

    One of the earliest players to bring awareness to brain traumas was Mike Webster, a former Pittsburgh Steeler. In April of 1999, he claimed to be disabled with the NFL Retirement Board. He also had dementia which was a result of the brutal hits he endured during his football career. Webster ran into many problems at the e...

    Read More

  • Should Children Play Tackle Football?

    1412 Words  | 3 Pages

    Since football’s inception, it has been considered a manly sport. Young boys have been encouraged by their parents to participate in the game. For many boys, it is considered a rite of passage. However, football is a dangerous sport. A study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy found, “an estimated 5.25 million football-related injuries among children and adolescents between 6 and 17 years of age were treated in U.S. emergency departments between 1990 and 2007. The annual number of football-related injuries increased 27 percent during the 18-year study period, jumping from 274,094 in 1990 to 346,772 in 2007” (Nation 201). These reported injuries include sprains and strains, broken bones, cracked ribs, torn ligaments, and concussions. A concussion usually happens when a player takes a hard hit to the head or is knocked unconscious on the playing field, and if not diagnosed and treated quickly, a concussion can result in death.

    Read More

  • Concussions In Football

    1397 Words  | 3 Pages

    Football is one of the most popular sports in the world. It is played in a lot of different ways, fashions, and other countries. It can be a very brutal sport with players hitting at the intent to hurt one another. With these intents come great consequences. In recent years the head injuries involved with this brutal game play have been getting uncomfortably high. Many rules have had to be enforced for player safety, because of the increase of head injuries resulting in tragic effects on players both old and new. One of the injuries that have had the most devastating effects is the concussion.

    Read More

  • Play Football Persuasive Essay

    875 Words  | 2 Pages

    This game requires immense amounts of exercise and cardiovascular activity. In an article on Youth Football Online.com it states, “Football is a physically demanding sport that will have the kids exercising every practice and game.” Football is filled with physical activity from running sprints, to lifting weights, to just simply playing the game. It is one of the best sports to get physically fit from. I feel myself working the hardest I ever have when I’m on the field. You endure multitudes of different types of training during football making it great for your health. Compared to other sports, it by far requires the most work all

    Read More

More about Football Brain Injuries

Open Document