Andre Waters, Kenny McKinley, and Tom McHale, please welcome another comrade to your club. On Thursday, Dave Duerson, a four time NFL Pro Bowl safety was found dead in his Sunny Isles Beach, Florida residence. Upon the discovery of his body, it was clearly apparent that Duerson had died from a self-inflicted gun shot wound to his chest. In grim foresight, he texted his family one last wish to have his brain analyzed for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a condition linked to more than a dozen deceased NFL players, The New York Times has reported. The degenerative disease has been associated with depression, dementia, and occasionally suicidal tendencies. To appease Duerson’s desire, family members will donate his brain to Boston University Medical School, hoping that others may benefit from this tragic loss. Already given a $1 million grant from the NFL, the institution’s research includes “the cause, progression, and characteristics” of the disease.
With all the on-field concussions garnering all the press headlines, the NFL, its players, and even long time amateur athletes, must take note of the future implications that current injuries cause. Obviously, there is direct correlation between suffering brain trauma and the decreased mental stability in later life. In an ironic twist, Duerson had been among three union representatives of a six person panel that weighs disability claims from retired players. According to The Times, the committee has faced harsh criticism for the denial of claims related to diminished mental capacities stemming from football.
While current studies are being administered to figure out the extent of these injuries, it is the responsibility of the NFL to protect its employees by improving its healthcare. If the NFL refuses to examine this growing epidemic that is plaguing its players, it will illustrate that it only cares about one thing: the value of the all-mighty dollar. This is an issue that just will not go away by turning a blind eye to it. Just because the studying of head related injuries is relatively new, it does not mean its existence is in its infancy. Modern medical advances have shed new light on severe head trauma and it is no longer acceptable for a player to “shake it off” when they see stars. With the Collective Bargaining Agreement now close to its expiration date, the NFL has the most opportunistic time to show its dedication to its current and retired players. Through not only supporting, but financing studies that are strictly focused on the effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the league can puts its money where its mouth is. While superstars are being paid millions of dollars to play a child’s game, no amount of money can ever replace health. The untimely deaths of Dave Duerson and the others before him, have driven a void that their families and friends with have to contend with for the rest of their lives; hopefully their suffering will ultimately have not gone for not.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this editorial.
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