Can you imagine living out your dream of being a professional football player, just to suffer a season ending injury, not once but TWICE in back to back seasons? Unfortunately, New York Giants wide receiver, Sterling Shepard, did not have to imagine. According to Patricia Traina, author of “Giants WR Sterling Shepard Reveals What Happened to His ACL Injury,” Shepard tore his ACL just three games after returning to football from his previous achilles rupture. It’s worth noting that both of Shepard’s injuries occurred on artificial turf. After Shepard’s second injury, he was asked for his opinion on artificial turf, particularly MetLife Stadium’s. He stated: “I know they tested it a couple of years back and said it was fine. I mean, I love playing …show more content…
All field sports utilize two main types of playing surfaces, artificial turf and natural grass. The “Turf Wars: Pros and Cons of Artificial Turf,” an article written by Lindsey Straus, a Harvard graduate and senior editor of MomsTEAM, and “For Better Health, Safety of Athletes Which Playing Surface Is Best?,” an article written by Dustin Pare, a sports journalism major at Arizona State University, both explain that artificial turf usually consists of polyethylene plastic grass that has a base of small rubber pellets made from recycled vehicle tires. Pare adds that “The first artificial turf-style field was introduced in the mid-1960s when ChemGrass was installed at the Houston Astrodome to replace the dying grass in the first domed stadium. The grass was later rebranded AstroTurf, and thus began the debate of natural grass versus turf playing surfaces.” While there’s been controversy revolving around the two playing surfaces since artificial turf was invented, the debate seems to gain interest when well-known players suffer major injuries, such as New York Jets star quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, who tore his achilles at Metlife Stadium in the first quarter of a game in September of
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...
Topic: The NFL injury report was initially made to make information about player’s injuries available to the public. This was meant to discourage gamblers from getting close to players for the sole purpose of gaining inside information. This decision ultimately protected the players from getting involved in gambling but also added new issues. There are many inaccuracies found in the NFL injury report. By letting the public know which players are hurt and where they are hurt, opposing teams are using this to their advantage. As predicted, coaches are going to try to obscure their player’s health to mess with their opponents game plan, while at the same time still following the guidelines of the NFL injury report regulat...
In the article “Should Kids Play Football” from the Scholastic Scope on February 2015, writer Jennifer Shotz discusses both issues of the benefits and dangers of playing American football. For example, Jennifer Shots mentioned that tens of thousands of young football players get concussions every year. She states that most players return to the game after they are healed but some never return because their concussion was too severe to their health. On the other hand, the writer also discusses how football isn't the only sport that encounters concussions. The rules of football are always changing and each new rule provides a safer way to play the game. For example, the writer notes that Pop Warner has reduced the amount of practice time dedicated
football field not knowing how serious there injuries are. The return to play policy helps protect
An Athletic Trainer working at the high school level gets to enjoy a variety of sports and with different sports comes different injuries. With football, the injuries an Athletic Trainer has to tend to are often more on the severe end of the scale. It is not uncommon to see a concussion (see Figure 2) or a torn ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament in the knee) in a football game compared to a softball game where a concussion or an ACL tear (see Figure 1) is less likely to occur. But in a softball game in comparison to a volleyball game, it is more likely to see a black eye or even just a very painful bruise. The more contact in the sport, the more injuries the Athletic Trainer gets to see and try to
Al Toon, father of Saints receiver Nick Toon, was forced to leave professional football after sustaining nine concussions in eight years of professional football. Football is one of the most dangerous games. As the years go on, more and more rules are being written to prevent the danger, but danger is the nature of the game. Most of these rules are for the protection of the players, but there are times when injuries can be a good thing. The Philadelphia Eagles were 3-5 to start the year, but Michael Vick was injured and the backup quarterback led the team to be 10-6, win the division, and almost beat the New Orleans Saints in the playoffs. "About 1.7 million Americans suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) every year, about three-quarters of them mild TBIs, or concussions" (Clemmitt). Traumatic Brain Injuries are used as the main form of evidence in Richard Cohen's claim that the end of the NFL is near, and quite frankly, his argument is pretty solid.
ACL Injuries in Athletes The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) attaches the femur, which is the thighbone, and the tibia, which is the shin, together (northstar). A torn ACL is one of the most excruciating experiences in an athlete’s life. It is the first thing that comes to mind when they hurt their knee on the field; for many it is their greatest fear. A torn ACL can sometimes mean the end of an athlete’s career.
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.
Consequently, football accounts for more major and catastrophic injuries than any other sport. One story that grasped my attention was an ESPN segment on Outside the Lines, where stories range from sports and controversy issues off the field. The topic was Football at a Crossroads, which emphasized that children should not play tackle football until the age of 16. According to a USA Today article, “on November 6, 2011, Donnovan Hill was thirteen at the time of his injury as a member of the Lakewood (California) Black Lancers, a Pop Warner group” (Mihoces, 2013). When Donnovan Hill tackled his opponent, he dropped his head down, kept his arm at his side and initiated the tackle head first. This maneuver was executed improperly, which led to a catastrophic spinal cord injury. Unfortunately, due to his spinal cord injury, Donnovan Hill became a quadriplegic. According to a website article, “sadly, on May 11, 2016, Donnovan Hill, died at the age of 18 after complications from surgery related to the management of his injury” (Farrey,
Some are trading the fun and experience of diversifying between basketball, baseball, soccer, etc. for year-round football. As a result, overuse injuries are occurring at an alarming rate among these one-sport wonders. For example, "Little League Elbow" describes overuse injuries in kids who are repetitively throwing the ball. Kids are sustaining severe injuries to their growth plates, neck and spinal cord that could end their career in pro-sports before it begins....
The brute force of the game is what draws millions of people around to the world to come and watch. However, what millions of Americans don't see if the consequences of what makes the game how great it is today, the hits. With players getting bigger faster and stronger it only leaves players in more danger of getting injured. Concussions are one of the most common injuries among NFL players mainly because of the constant contact, and how the design of the helmet is to protect against major head injuries, not concussions. CTE is common in many NFL players, and most former NFL players. A study by the national institute for Occupational safety and health found that, “the brain tissue of 59 of 62 deceased former NFL players tested positive for CTE” also when studying, “the causes of death of 3,439 former NFL players concluded they were three times as likely as the general population to die from degenerative brain diseases,such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's”(Karaim). However there has been remarkable facts on how CTE has been found in NFL players more commonly than any other sport the NFL refuses to acknowledge that there is any correlation between player who played professional football and CTE. Because of this direct correlation of football and CTE many players are unable to work of fully function after their career as a professional
Athletes are one of the most highly paid professions, and with that comes a great responsibility to everyone but themselves, even it means putting their lives, and others around them at risk. A football player’s goal is to entertain the fans that tune in to watch them, however their only job is to win their games, and untimely a Super Bowl Championship, but not for themselves, for the franchise that owns them and their bodies. As long as they can run a play and take a hit foot players are gold to their employers, or if you will their owners. “Toughing it out, turns out, can kill people.” (Diaz Truman, M 2013), and cause irreversible brain damage to football players. Continuing to ignore evidence that supports the growing concern of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and how it relates to the NFL players is troubling because of the long term affects it has on a player’s mental s...
Ligaments are tough, non-stretchable fibers that hold bones together. Damage to cruciate ligaments, which crisscross the knee to give it stability, is one of the most common sports injuries. The “tear” occurs from changing direction rapidly, slowing down from running, or landing from a jump improperly. The A.C.L tear is one injury that worries athletes in all sports at all levels because of its devastating effects. People ages 15-25 that participate in basketball and other sports that require pivoting are especially at risk.
How football began, the first American football game was played on November 6, 1869. The Rutgers vs. Princeton played the first game (Bennett). Walter Camp introduced the line of scrimmage and down and distance (Bennett). The first professional “league” was the Ohio League (Bennett). The American Football League (AFL) started in 1960 (Bennett). The first Super Bowl was in 1967 and the Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chief (Brooks and King). The Houston Oilers defeated the Los Angles Charges in the first AFL championship (Brooks and King). Considered one of the greatest coaches, Vince Lombardi, died from cancer on September 3, 1970 at the age of 57 (Brooks and King). Seven days after Lombardi’s death, the National Football League honored him with the name of the Super Bowl trophy (Brooks and King). Franco Harris made the “Immaculate Reception” which lead to the first Pittsburgh Steelers victory for them (Brooks and King). In the 1970’s the Pittsburgh Steelers won four Super Bowls (Brooks and King). In 1978 the National Football League moved from 14 games a season to 16 games (Brooks and King). O.J. Simpson is the first player to rush over 2,000 yards (Brooks and King). In 1981 Ronald Regan said “Football is the last thing left in civilization where men can lite...
Football helmets are the most important pieces of equipment and have been revolutionized since football started. According to Forthofer (21012), when football was a new sport in the 1860s to 1896, helmets were not used. The first helmets that were used were made of mole skin or leather and were very uncomfortable and hot (Forthofer, 2012). In situations where the player gets injured due to faulty equipment gear, the NFL league should be held fully responsible.