What I Saw as an N.F.L. Ball Boy

[fearsomefour]

I have never seen a shattered helmet. I think this may be a bit embellished. The author makes it seem like every football player is going through this torture. Tory and Ike never seemed that messed up. Neither did Marhsall or Kurt and Kurt took a beating with the Rams. I dont buy that this piece is all that accurate. Maybe he had to use smelling salts a few times a game but how many slobberknocking hits do we see? Even in 2003?

Plus what are we to do? Not watch the game so the NFL fails? Sure we can try to make them more aware that the fans are aware but they make the rules and only litigation seems to be able to spark serious changes. There will always be men that love to play the game. Right now my 7 year old son is one of them. If he grows to be big and fast enough to make it to the NFL I am sure he would pursue it, despite the risks.

I chose to be a landscape architect. Instead of just sitting at a desk designing, I also liked to install my designs. I am 47 and have a myriad of injuries related to doing a physical job. I have chronic tendonitis in both elbows, I mysteriously get tendonitis in other parts of my body easily. I am currently nursing a torn meniscus from kneeling while planting and laying bricks. I have had foot injuries, knee injuries, my hips ache every night, my back has gone out in three places and I now I have weaknesses that get reinjured a couple times a year. I have had numbness in my fingers and feet. etc,..... Sure I dont have severe head trauma but if I had known that I would have these problems down the road, when I was 23 and starting out I believe I would not have done any of it differently. Many people warned me over the years and I shrugged it off. Heck I would even work out three nights a week after work, ran trails up mountains, and one of my hobbies was fossil hunting where I used a pick and 40 lb bar to dig all day. I did it all because I loved it. Football players are the same way, plus there are many more benefits that come with it, like millions of dollars, prestige, popularity, security.

When I read the title I thought this piece was going to be about all the naked balls the guy saw in the locker room. It might as well have been IMO.

You make some good points.
I remember the smelling salts when I was in high school. I remember getting "rung" in a practice, coming over ears ringing, feeling buzzed. O line coach gives he a sniff of the salts. Took two plays off and right back in. A couple of years ago my son took a hit and hit the back of his helmet on the ground. He got up a little slowly and the trainer was all over him. He had a headache, passed the concussion test on the sideline but they decided to not let him back in to be safe. End results he was "diagnosed" with a mild concussion and sat out three weeks. It has gotten much better down the ranks. Which is good news.
As for the NFL players, well, it is a hard call. Looking at stats being a truck driver is the most dangerous job in the country. Falls, work conditions, accidents death and serious injury rate taken into consideration. There are many dangerous jobs that people choose to do. The NFL has an obligation to protect the players as much as possible, just like any industry or corporation. However, its like being a deep sea fisherman, there are big risks. The thing that is shocking with the NFL is the suicide and violence. Both these things can certainly be tied to depression which can be tied to brain injury. What to do? I dont know.
I had a family friend who was a high first round pick of the Colts years ago. A big giant guy who could move like a cat. Playing DT he suffered one knee injury in college, then in his rookie year, then another and another and soon was done. He was supposed to be a star and washed out after a couple of years because of injury. Like I said there are a lot of dangerous jobs. But it is disconserting to see a 26 year old need a cane to walk.
The teams certainly dont care about the players. They care about winning and the competition is fierce. If you are a starting LG on an NFL team you are one of 32 guys who have that job. After working for years to get to that point you dont think guys are going to risk further injury or drug addiction ect. to hold onto that job?
Im sure the guy who wrote this witnessed everything he said he did....making it sound like it happened in every game was probably the embellishment. I dont think guys are crapping themselves all the time.