This week 30 year old Husain Abdullah retired from the NFL. As a safety for the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings he has sustained 5 concussions over the past 7 seasons. Abdullah made a very reasoned decision that continuing
Hallelujah! Finally, the NFL, yes THE NFL, has admitted that there is a link between football and chronic brain injuries specifically CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy). Careful, you might be hit by a flying pig, or trampled by the horsemen of
NFL Linebacker Chris Borland’s recent decision was a brave one; he walked away from a $3 million contract over the issue of concussions.
Last August, the 24-year old Borland was just starting out as a rookie linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers. During his first training camp he suffered a concussion. But he continued to play through the day and through the rookie season. Even so, the issue of concussion kept bothering him and he began researching the data. He found plenty, enough to change his mind about a career in football.
With Super Bowl madness winding down, the issue of concussion is coming up. And once again, we’re talking about the NFL.
I’m a great fan of football, and Sunday found me like it did 111.5 million other viewers – sitting in front of the TV watching the match-up between Seattle and New England. There were great plays and it was a great game. But as a physician certified in concussion management, I watched closely as the Patriot’s receiver, Julian Edelman, took a hard hit helmet-to-helmet in the fourth quarter. It was clear he was slow getting back on his feet. My concussion alarm went off. And then, despite the NFL’s big focus on reducing brain injuries, we saw Edelman go back into the game, finishing with the winning touchdown that gave the Patriot’s players a Super Bowl ring.