Related Research Articles
Michael Lewis Webster was an American professional football center in the National Football League (NFL) from 1974 to 1990 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, class of 1997. Nicknamed "Iron Mike", Webster anchored the Steelers' offensive line during much of their run of four Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1979 and is considered by many the greatest center in NFL history.
Joseph David Berger is an American former professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for the Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL draft. He played college football at Michigan Tech.
Health issues in American football comprise a large number of health risks associated with participating in the sport. Injuries are relatively common in American football, due to its nature as a full-contact game. Injuries occur during both practice and games. Several factors can affect the frequency of injuries: epidemiological studies have shown older players can be at a greater risk, while equipment and experienced coaches can reduce the risk of injury. Common injuries include strains, sprains, fractures, dislocations, and concussions. Concussions have become a concern, as they increase the risk of mental illnesses like dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). In individual leagues like the National Football League (NFL) and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), a public injury report is published containing all injured players on a team, their injury and the game-day status of each player.
Harry Donald Carson is an American former professional football player who spent his entire career as a linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). Carson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Matthew Albert Blair was an American football linebacker who played for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) for all 12 seasons of his career from 1974 to 1985. He played college football for the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Golden Norsemen and the Iowa State Cyclones.
Sean Joseph Morey is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Brown Bears. He was selected by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL draft. Morey also played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals. He won Super Bowl XL with the Steelers against the Seattle Seahawks.
Alan Schwarz is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer and author, formerly at The New York Times, best known for writing more than 100 articles that exposed the National Football League's cover-up of concussions and brought the issue of brain injuries in sports to worldwide attention. His investigative and profile pieces are generally credited with revolutionizing the respect and protocol for concussions in youth and professional athletics. Schwarz's work was profiled in The New Yorker and several films, including the Will Smith movie "Concussion" and the documentaries "Head Games" and PBS Frontline's "League of Denial". The Columbia Journalism Review featured him on the cover of its 2011 Art of Great Reporting issue and wrote of his concussion work, "He put the issue on the agenda of lawmakers, sports leagues, and the media at large — and helped create a new debate about risk and responsibility in sports." The impact of the series was described by Hall of Fame sports writer Murray Chass as "the most remarkable feat in sports journalism history."
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head. The encephalopathy symptoms can include behavioral problems, mood problems, and problems with thinking. The disease often gets worse over time and can result in dementia.
Larry Cleo Morris was an American professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Chicago Bears. The 1950 graduate of Decatur High School became an All-American playing college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets before his NFL career. "The Brahma Bull" was named one of the linebackers on the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team. He was sentenced to probation for his role in the Savings and loan crisis.
Terry Paul Beasley was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers, earning unanimous All-American honors in 1971. He was selected by the 49ers in the first round of the 1972 NFL draft with the 19th overall pick. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
Walter William Hilgenberg was a professional American football linebacker, he played 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), four with the Detroit Lions and 12 with the Minnesota Vikings.
William Dean Shields is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL), primarily for the San Diego Chargers. He played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and was selected by the Chargers in the sixth round of the 1975 NFL draft. Shields also played in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs.
Paul Kevin Turner was an American professional football player who was a fullback for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Turner died after a multi-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which had been triggered by chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Charles Ray Easterling was an American football safety in the National Football League (NFL). He graduated from the University of Richmond in 1972 and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the ninth round of the 1972 NFL draft.
Dr. Bennet Ifeakandu Omalu is a Nigerian-American physician, forensic pathologist, and neuropathologist who was the first to discover and publish findings on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in American football players while working at the Allegheny County coroner's office in Pittsburgh. He later became the chief medical examiner for San Joaquin County, California, and is a professor at the University of California, Davis, department of medical pathology and laboratory medicine. He is currently the president and medical director of Bennet Omalu Pathology.
Concussions and play-related head blows in American football have been shown to be the cause of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which has led to player deaths and other debilitating symptoms after retirement, including memory loss, depression, anxiety, headaches, stress, and sleep disturbances.
George Anthony Visger is a former professional American football player who played defensive line for the San Francisco 49ers.
Concussion is a 2015 American biographical sports drama film written and directed by Peter Landesman, based on the exposé "Game Brain" by Jeanne Marie Laskas, published in 2009 by GQ magazine. Set during the 2000s, the film stars Will Smith as Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist who fights against the National Football League trying to suppress his research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) brain degeneration suffered by professional football players.
Most documented cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy have occurred in many athletes involved in contact sports such as boxing, American football, wrestling, ice hockey, mixed martial arts, rugby and soccer. Other risk factors include being in the military, prior domestic violence, and repeated banging of the head. The exact amount of trauma required for the condition to occur is unknown. Below is a list of notable cases of CTE in sports.
References
- ↑ Florence, Mal (September 20, 1979). "Brent Boyd May Really Be All-Coast This Year". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ Schwarz, Alan (June 27, 2007). "Congress Scolds N.F.L. and Union". The New York Times.
- ↑ Keating, Peter (April 9, 2008). "Judiciary Committee blasts NFL, union over medical care". ESPN The Magazine.
- ↑ Nordli, Brian (November 24, 2011). "After football: Reno's Boyd is living example of what can happen to former NFL players". Reno Gazette-Journal.
- ↑ "Arise America-NFL Concussion Settlement". YouTube . April 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Inside the Story: Head injuries and the future of football". February 4, 2016.
