The NFL has been under heavy fire recently due to repeated cases of retired players coming out and reporting that they are struggling with chronic traumatic encephalopathy caused by the repetitive head trauma brought on by the game of football (Bostick). Many of these former players are claiming that the NFL is responsible for their health issues because they held back information about head trauma from the players. According to these players the NFL held back findings and information about concussions and related head trauma because they thought it would affect their profit margins (Ezell). The players settled for a big pay day of $765 million. However, the NFL did not admit to any guilt of withholding any evidence or information from players about head trauma and football connections (Ezell). Another accusation thrown the NFL's way is the statement that the NFL does not put enough money in to research and data collecting to improve the knowledge of head trauma and concussions. However, the NFL has committed close to $100 million to research organizations like the National Institutes of Health and the Head Health Initiative (Armour). The NFL is trying to aid research organizations researching head trauma. Also, the responsibility of the head trauma issues is being placed on the NFL solely. Since 2010 the NFL has implemented close to 15 rule changes in an effort to protect the players from head to head contact (30 Years). This is not including any changes made to the return to play protocol. The NFL is attempting to initiate change in its game, but they can not effectively do this without the help and cooperation of the players. Not all players are being cooperative. An example of this would be James Harrison, a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Stealers. He has been fined more then several times for improper head to head contact tackles that violate the NFL's new rule changes. He has said many times that the new NFL rules for tackling will not change the way he plays the game (Drysdale). The NFL has changed the rules for head to head tackling, donated millions towards head trauma research, and has fined players for wrongful tackling and violation of the new rules. Yet some players and and overwhelming majority of the media believe that the NFL still holds all responsibility for the head trauma and health issues players are having after their retirement. When is there a point where the players have to take some of the blame? The NFL is not to blame for the concussion problem because the players need to take responsibility for their actions in game and realize that football is a violent sport and while the NFL can implement protocols to try to prevent concussions they can not change the culture of the sport without a change in the culture among the players.

Not only has the NFL donated millions to research organizations, but the NFL has changed many of the in game rules over the past 5 years to attempt to change the way the game is played to prevent head to head contact and other head trauma. They have increased their defenseless player list drastically (30 years). A defenseless player is when a player involved in the current play is not aware of the players around them or where they are coming from. For example, a defenseless player is a receiver who is in the act of catching the ball and has yet to turn up field. No defensive player can come in on a defenseless player and hit them in the helmet or neck area. The NFL has increased the list of players who are characterized as a defenseless player and increased the protection given to defenseless players. In addition to protecting defenseless players they have changed rules to tackling and running with the ball. A player can no longer tackle leading with the head, and a runner can no longer run in to players leading with his head (30 years). One of the retired players who was suing the NFL after the reports of CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, being found in many retired player's brains withdrew his suit in July 2013. This former player was line backer Jeff Kopp (Crow). He says that he initially joined the suit against the NFL to bring awareness to CTE and concussions in the NFL. Jeff Kopp was "never ...  comfortable being in the lawsuit. [He] [does] love the game and [he] [did] know it was [his] choice" (Crow). Jeff Kopp took his name off the lawsuit because he believes that "things are headed in the right direction, [and] the NFL is aware of everything and they're being proactive about it" (Crow). This is an example of a player taking responsibility for his actions. He knew the choice of career he made and has accepted it. The only thing he wanted out of the NFL is to make them aware of the health issues players are faced with after they leave the NFL, and for the NFL to make rule changes and adjustments to account for these health issues like CTE (Crow). The NFL is making constant changes to the rules and attempting to fix the health issues the former players face. 

In addition, the changes to the rules the NFL is making will not effectively change the game without the cooperation of the players. The players need to change the way they play, and the way they think for the rule changes to have any effect. James Harrison accumulated $125,000 in fined in the 2010 season all for hits that violated the new rules regarding hits leading with the helmet, and the new rules regarding defenseless players (NFL's). After these hits James Harrison said that no matter how many fines he got or what the rule changes said he was not going to change his style of player (Drysdale). This is just one example of the player mentality or the player culture. Another example of this is Jeff Kopp. Kopp explains the player mentality and culture perfectly. He says that the players had the though process of "Hey, you get dinged, you just suck it up and you clear your head and you go back in" (Crow). The players are fighting for a spot on the team and they do not want to waste time tending to injuries. "Players continue to hide concussion symptoms from coaches and trainers to avoid being taken out of a highly contested game and possibly even losing their starting positions permanently" (Drysdale). This is the culture the players enter in when they choose this career path. The player culture is summed up in a few words, "you can't make the club in the tub" (Robeson). This is referring to the idea that a player can not make a team if he is injured and in a physical therapy ice bath or tub (Robeson). This kind of culture is referred to as the warrior mentality. This culture is not unique to football. Most competitive team sports have this warrior mentality. The players have this warrior mentality because they believe if they are injured their spot will be given to someone else (Robeson). Their spot on the team is not even what matters most. If the player is injured they "cannot make a living or support [their] family" (Drysdale). So, if a player is experiencing symptoms of any injury they are less likely to report it or rest it because it would affect their ability to support themselves and their loved ones. In my personal experience every concussion I received I immediately felt off. I knew very quickly that something was wrong. A player who ignores symptoms and continues to play on is at fault for their own health issues and consequences after the fact. If a player chooses to play through that there is no rules the NFL can realistically put in place to stop them (Crow). The average NFL player makes close to two million dollars a year (Manfred). When a player signs this two million dollar contract they know exactly what sport they are receiving that money for and the violence level of that sport because they have been playing it for years before they started getting paid for their talent. The players have to be aware of the risk factor of football when entering the league. It is common sense. The players chose this career path and they have to take some responsibility for the choice and the ramifications that might come along with that choice. 

In conclusion, the NFL is not the sole responsible party for the concussion and head related health issues after a player retires from the league that the media and some players make it out to be. The NFL has made positive steps in the past five years to creating and implementing rule changes to protect their players and they continue to make steps in the right direction. The NFL will continue to attempt to fix the head problems associated with the NFL, but without some change in the player culture it will become more and more difficult to address the problems without changing the overall game of football. The players are in a culture that does not cater to their health in a positive way. The warrior mentality is a hindrance to their health, and no rule change to in game play or a rule adjusting the correct form of tackling made by the NFL will change this warrior mentality and get rid of it from the league (Drysdale). As Jeff Kopp said "the NFL doesn't owe [him] anything" (Crow). The NFL does not owe players anything. The NFL gave these players a rare opportunity to make millions of dollars doing something they are extremely talented at. An opportunity that many people will never get. The fact that these players are not taking any responsibility for choosing to play a sport that is known for its violent hits and head to head contact is simply ridiculous. A neurosurgeon, Dr. Uzma Samadani, has done extensive research in to brain injuries and brain related health problems. She has not received a dime from the NFL for her "work on traumatic brain injury" (Fainaru). Dr. Uzma Samadani says she is "extremely grateful to the NFL for [the] work they've done; they have changed the public perception of brain injury" (Fainaru). The NFL has donated close to 100 million dollars to organizations researching brain injuries and how they happen (Armour). In addition to those millions of dollars "NFL-affiliated grants totaling several million dollars have gone to scientists or institutions" that have been researching head trauma and brain degenerative diseases (Fainaru). Many say the money the NFL has donated to research organizations is "peanuts" compared to what they make each year (Armour). Yes, the NFL is a multi billion-dollar business in revenue, but revenue does not equal profit. The NFL has an upkeep cost and a cost of production just like every other business has, and 90 million dollars is an extreme amount of money to donate towards research organizations that have the potential to disrupt your business and even hurt your business. Is all this not enough? When will any of the blame shift off of the NFL and on to the players, coaches, and teams? Is it not common sense that if you hit your head hard enough you will get head trauma and maybe a concussion? This is what it boils down to, taking responsibility for your own actions. These players are getting paid large sums of money and receiving a great amount of fame to play this beloved game, and because the pay is so high the risks of a job factor in to that. When you receive a concussion the symptoms are very apparent to the victim. I know this from personal experience. The NFL is not responsible for a player to continue playing after they receive a serious brain injury because if the player does not feel the need to report it and take themselves out of the game then it is a problem with the culture among the players that cannot be fixed with regulations and protocols. This is important because the culture we live in today is to blame others for our mistakes and actions and not taking responsibility for them, and this is a prime example of it.

