A 25-year-old man playing in the biggest game of his still fresh football career, the Super Bowl. As the Pittsburgh Steelers' most versatile player on the roster, there was no question he would play a huge role in changing the outcome of the game. The game enters crunch time, the score is locked and this man's number was called to make a play. The coaching staff tries to draw up a play that would confuse the defense so they call for a wide receiver to throw the ball, a trick play no one would see coming. The offense lines up, he goes in motion towards the other side of the formation, ball is snapped and the quarter back throws the ball to the wide receiver along the sideline. The defense swarms toward him, he stops running and pulls the ball up as to throw it. He cocks his arm back and unloads a perfect throw to his teammate in the end zone for the game-clinching touchdown. The Steelers win the Super Bowl and this man is on top of the world.

That same offseason, he gets signed by a new team where he was projected to shine and make his career numbers some of the best in history. But after three years of nothing special and him being a role player, primarily a kick returner, he goes back to Pittsburgh to play out what would be his last season thanks to a number of injuries in the latter half of his career. At the age of thirty, he retires and walks away from a sport that brought him so much happiness and wealth. But retirement would be the exact opposite. Antwaan Randle El, a second round selection in the 2002 NFL draft, a Super Bowl champion, a father and a husband, a charity foundation creator, and a man suffers from a problem no one should ever have to experience at such a young age. At the current age of 36, Randle El struggles with simple everyday tasks such as walking down the stairs and remembering tasks his wife tells him he needs to do (McCollough). Having to put maximum effort into routine activities takes a toll on Randle El, and in a recent interview he was asked about the decisions he made in the past and whether or not he would do them again. He responded, "'If I could go back, I wouldn't [play football]. I would play baseball. I got drafted by the Cubs in the 14th round, but I didn't play baseball because of my parents. They made me go to school. Don't get me wrong, I love the game of football. But, right now, I could still be playing baseball'" (McCollough). Randle El later on says that football players are, "in a car wreck every week" meaning that the amount of force and physical abuse they face is equal to a car wreck (McCollough). The physical and emotional toll injuries have put on Randle El in the years after playing brings up discussion as to how the NFL can make changes to protect players from the same problems.

The definition of a concussion is an injury to the brain that results in temporary loss of normal brain function usually caused by a blow to the head (AANS). Concussions go undetected a majority of the time only because players do not tell coaches about the symptoms they are experiencing. Even the weakest blow to the head can cause a concussion to occur, like rapid movement of the head in a car crash or even just bumping into a low hanging door frame or slamming onto the ground. Any time the brain gets rattled around within the skull, a concussion can occur because the bruising is what causes the pain and swelling. Typically, with a concussion, the recipient has to take a few days off from all aspects of life, basically isolating themselves in order to properly heal their head. But that is only possible in a perfect world. Treating a concussion is difficult as there is no scientific discovery that ends all symptoms of concussions. The best treatment is "simple rest of the body and brain until symptoms subside is essential for successful recovery" (BrainLine Military). With treatment being a waiting game, prevention takes the spotlight when discussing changes needed to be made in the sports world. In order to allow for athletes to play longer careers, the preventative rules need to continue to change and the diagnostic techniques have to be the primary focus in making sure concussion numbers decrease. 

Preventing concussions is no easy task, especially since there is no way to insert anything into a human's skull to make sure the brain does not move. The simplest way to stop concussions from happening in sports is to either stop playing the sport or eliminate it completely. Again, that is not a realistic approach, as there is no way to deter people from playing a sport that produces so much entertainment and has such a high economical value like the NFL has. Because the NFL will be around for years to come, the best way to handle concussions is to implement rules for on-field prevention that make the players more aware of where they are hitting the opponent. A rule was placed that forced defenders to hit offensive players below the head and neck region, otherwise a fifteen-yard penalty would be enforced. In serious cases, where players violently hit an offensive player in the head, that defender can be suspended and even fined for the hit. The disciplinary process in the NFL with regard to these hits starts with a review of the play, whether flagged or not, and if discipline is necessary, a team of Football Operations executives makes the call (Safety Rules and Regulations). 

Off the field, doctors are looking into preventative actions that can help eliminate a large number of concussions. Most notably, Dr. Bennet Omalu began researching CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which is a "progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in athletes (and others) with a history of repetitive brain trauma, including symptomatic concussions as well as asymptomatic subconcussive hits to the head" (What is CTE?). CTE can also lead to changes in brain function and behavior, such as memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, and, eventually, progressive dementia (What is CTE?). Omalu's research was progressive and his point of view targeted why the NFL was dangerous and that it needed to be shut down. However, his results were in fact beneficial to the sports world, as he discovered problems in the brains containing CTE that could easily be prevented. His research was so influential, Hollywood decided it would make a movie, and they produced Concussion featuring Will Smith as Doctor Omalu to draw attention from the public. By using a credible, well-known actor, more people would go see the movie and learn about the effects concussions have had on athletes in recent years. The hopes were to bring awareness to the situation on the prevalence and the danger of concussions and help people think about ways to prevent concussions. The movie flopped however, and was said to have been ridden with inaccuracies. An article reviewing how inaccurate the movie says that "the exaggeration of the plot against Omalu in Concussion feeds into a pervasive myth at the center of the national discussion over football and head injuries" (Engber). The myth being referenced in the article is the fact that football is directly causing these retired athletes to suffer from CTE. 

Junior Seau was a linebacker for the San Diego Chargers football team. As a big, physical defensive player, he was exposed to forceful and brutal hits everyday for the majority of his young adult and adult life. After an illustrious career, earning accolades not many other men have received, Seau retired and began to live in hell for years to come. Junior Seau battled a form of post traumatic stress disorder from football, onset by CTE. Living in fear, depression, and regret, Seau ended his own life and the autopsy report proved that he had been living with CTE. This is one side of retired athletes that is overlooked, the number of suicide and depression rates. That issue can only be addressed once scientists and professional sport officials determine a way to prevent concussions and their long-term effects from causing such horrid deficiencies. After the death of Frank Gifford, former running back for the New York Giants, and Junior Seau, a study was conducted using 91 brains of deceased football players looking for presence of CTE. 87 of those brains did in fact contain traces of CTE indicating that there is a link between football and CTE, but that does not mean every player will end up getting the disease (Marcin). Even with the high possibility of getting CTE, more and more athletes are trying to become professional football players and are willing to put their bodies on the line to be the best in the world. That being said, the best form of prevention can only come from within the sport, not before the athlete starts playing. Rule changes and disciplinary actions need to continue to change to put the safety of the players at the top of the priority list.

Diagnosing and the treatment of concussions is also another crucial step in making sure the same athlete does not suffer from repeat concussions. After a player has receive a blow to the head that has slowed them or made them experience any of the concussion symptoms, the diagnostic procedure is put into place. Starting at the high school level and working its way through some professional organizations, players are forced to take the ImPACT test before the season. ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) is a program designed to measure verbal and visual memory, processing speed, reaction time, and impulse control (Keating). At the start of the diagnostic process, the player takes this test again and the doctors match it up to the baseline stats. If the results are close enough or even better than the baseline, the athlete can begin a return to play protocol that includes physical workouts (Keating). The protocol is a day to day build-up routine that increases the extremity of each workout based on how prevalent the athlete's symptoms are. Once the athlete is completely clear of all symptoms and can perform strenuous activities without any of the symptoms returning, the athlete can return to the highest level of the sport which is live game action. It is important that the athlete takes his time in returning to the game and does not lie to doctors in order to prevent second-impact syndrome. Second-impact syndrome "results from acute, often fatal brain swelling that occurs when a second concussion is sustained before complete recovery from a previous concussion" (AANS). The biggest problems associated with second-impact syndrome are vascular congestion and increased intracranial pressure (AANS). Diagnosing and preventing multiple concussions is extremely important in making sure there are no complications in an athlete's retirement.

With a number of top tier athletes retiring from their respective sport early due to concussions and other injuries, athletes at lower levels can also experience the same problems that concussions cause, forcing them to "retire" early. Personally, I was given the news before even starting high school that I would not be allowed to participate in contact sports at the high school level and beyond. After receiving three concussions in the same year at the age of 14, football was immediately taken off the table as an option of something to pursue in high school. Doctors wanted to rule out all sports in order to keep me completely safe, but growing up doing nothing but playing sports and watching professional games everyday meant that not playing was simply not an option. I played high school varsity level baseball for three years, but missed over half of one season with what other injury but a concussion. Up to this moment, I have received 7 concussions recorded, meaning there have been other head injuries that could have been classified as a concussion if I were to go to a doctor. 

I took a hard look into how to prevent concussions in my own life and the best way to do so is to stay out of contact situations where head trauma could be present. I continue to get tested for any long-term effects from concussions just to make sure that I can function properly and no symptoms of CTE or second-impact syndrome are present. Seeing high rated and gifted athletes forced out of a sport at an early age pulls on the heart strings because I have felt their pain.

Preventing concussions not just in sports but in every day life is the most important part of decreasing the number of CTE diagnosed athletes and people. With the NFL imputing multiple penalties when players aggressively and/or purposefully aim for the head, they are taking the fist step in preventing higher number of concussions in a violent sport like football is. Other sport leagues need to follow suit and provide means on the field to prevent the possibilities of concussions. Properly diagnosing and treating a concussion can lead to a healthy return or lead to a turn for the worst and an athlete possibly receiving a second concussion in a short period of time. Using the ImPACT test both before and after an injury is the best way of diagnosing a concussion and determining when the athlete is ready to return to the sport. Retired athletes deserve to be relaxed and live the luxurious life they worked so hard to earn, not live in fear of not being able to mentally function. After battling everyday both on the field and off the field, it is not fair that athletes have to live with mental incapability and struggle each and every day, no matter what age they are. Concussions truly are a hidden injury that you cannot see, but you can feel it and feel the long term impact it has on your brain and body if you do not treat it properly.

