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The Dangers Of Concussions In Football

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Football has been around for many decades. There have been all sorts of injuries throughout its existence. As the game evolved with plastic helmets and bigger pads, so did the number of big hits that players were landing. This was exciting for the spectators, watching players give it their all on the field. Players quickly found out that hitting with your head is much more effective than hitting with your shoulder. This new technique brought much more than excitement to the game. It came with concussions. Concussions were never a serious problem until the game evolved. Ever since these injuries came into the game, there has been a push to make the game much safer. In his article, Disposable Heroes, David Weisman expresses his …show more content…

He also contributes to Seed magazine on issues related to the brain. With Weisman being a neurologist, he has a lot to say about head injuries. “As force is applied to the brain, a shockwave ripples through. If large enough, the shock tears the axons and can result in catastrophic injury. Smaller forces stun the neurons, their electrical firing decreases, and symptoms of concussion occur.” Weisman explains how a concussion actually occurs. These shockwaves are hits to the head. Most of the time nothing will happen, but as the waves become bigger and bigger a person begins to feel its affects more and more. The waves can get big enough to paralyze a player, but the chances of that happening are close to none. With these ripples going through the neurons, symptoms of a concussion may occur. A person may go limp or stumble and appear unfocused. Even if these symptoms don't happen and one doesn't have a concussion, the effects are still felt. These aren't the only injuries we see though. “Other than the injuries that are so obvious that leave the player unconscious, impaired, or dead, we do not know exactly how harmful low-velocity impacts are.” The immediate effects are known and are classified as concussions, but this is just the calm wind before the tornado touches down. Studies have been made on former NFL players. Over time the low impact hits begin to add up and combine and turn south. When enough cells die, …show more content…

He is a former NFL player who played for six years. Jackson knows how difficult it is to play the sport at such a high level. In order to do so, players need to be able to use every part of their body, especially their head. The head is such an important part of the game: players need to understand their plays, what the defense is doing, and be able to tackle with it? That’s right. “Then I was moved to tight end, where I quickly learned that to have any chance of containing the large men across the line of scrimmage, I had to hit them square in the face with my helmet.” In order for Jackson to do his job right, he had to use his head. It is easy for non-players to suggest ways not to use one’s head. “Some say players should block and tackle with the shoulder pads instead. Doing that means choosing a side, trying to hit an opponent with the left or right shoulder. That technique will get you cut by any professional team before you can begin to perfect it.” Trying to predict where a player’s head is difficult when you’re tackling. The head can move suddenly and you won’t have enough time to move your head out of the way. The game of football is fast. Players are flying around trying to make a name for themselves. When players are running at full speed players are bound to collide heads. Hitting with one’s head is a part of the game. Not doing so may cost a player a tackle, a block, or even their

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