Brain Injuries In Football

The tragedy of a man who attempted to brush his teeth with a razor. This sounds like a shocking headline in a newspaper, but it almost happened to a former NFL football player, Dave Kocourek (Segura). During a professional football game, many players are at risk for suffering concussions. Repeated blows to the head and violent contacts can lead to severe brain damage, which might cause chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Some solutions that can decrease the risks of brain injuries are to improve helmets, provide more information about the risks of injuries, change rules for kickoff, change the three-point stance, update the contracts, and offer insurance for retired players.
The brutal nature of football is the main reason for head injuries in most NFL players. Kevin Seifert states, “Diagnosed concussions went up significantly from 206 in 2014 to 271 in 2015.” This change is both positive and negative. The positive outcome is more players are aware to report their symptoms, but the negative outcome is their safety is at risk. In addition, the statistics also show that “Of the 271 concussions in 2015, 234 occurred in games and 37 in practice”, where contact with another helmet, …show more content…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition of concussion is “a type of traumatic brain injury—or TBI—caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth.” In other words, this rapid movement of the brain can alter the brain function severely. Furthermore, the Mayo Clinic states that the effects of a concussion “are usually temporary but can include headaches and problems with concentration, memory, balance and coordination.” Many NFL players suffer concussions during their career, but most of them are not aware of how serious the situation is. Thereupon, these symptoms can negatively affect football players and their