By: Sam Neumann
At the age of 24, Chris Borland decided that playing football was no longer worth risking his health for. The now-retired NFL linebacker called it quits after he had concerns about potential head trauma from concussions. Borland never had a concussion in his short-lived NFL career, but the risk of getting one was enough for him. Borland even returned three quarters of his rookie signing bonus to the San Francisco 49ers.
Concussions have now become a common occurrence in the NFL, as common as scoring a touchdown or kicking a field goal. In the 2014 NFL season, there were 202 diagnosed concussions during the preseason, regular season, games and practices combined. This does not include the many head injuries that players hide so they can continue to play.
Head injuries in the NFL are usually caused by helmet-helmet hits or a player’s head hitting the turf. Concussions have always been relevant in the NFL, but in the past, players have not been as worried about their future health. According to PBS.org, 49.5% of concussions do not get reported. That is a huge issue not only for the players, but for the NFL as well. The NFL was sued for about $800 million in 2013, by almost 4,500 plaintiffs, for player safety issues and, of course, concussions. For 202 concussions to be recorded, and some unrecorded, obviously these current helmets are not protective enough. There is only so much padding you can have.
In past years, former players like Junior Seau, Dave Duerson, Jovan Belcher, Ray Easterling, Kurt Crain and OJ Murdock have committed suicide because of the after effects of concussions. Depression and suicide have been linked to the long-term impact of several concussions. The violence of the game is coming back to bite current players. Most of these players were diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy after they were deceased. CTE is prevalent in people who have suffered a history of repetitive brain trauma.
Borland did not want to end up like these players. Retiring was not something he wanted to do, but something he felt he had to do. His decision obviously came as a shock to people associated with the NFL, but it was understandable to say the least. Retiring from the game might make Borland a catalyst for something. Maybe players will start realizing that their occupation is not safe, and the NFL needs to actually want to protect them.
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