
271; the number of diagnosed concussions in the National Football League only in the 2015 season (CNN Library). The amount of concussion that are being diagnosed in the NFL are growing each season as players get bigger and more aggressive. A concussion is the hitting of the brain against the sides of the skull. This violent action causes the brain to swell and results in depleted senses and potential memory loss, among other potential injuries. The brain is the most vital thing that the human body has and when it is injured it directly results in a lesser way of life. Players in the NFL are extremely likely to receive a concussion due to the intense hitting nature involved in the sport. Due to the fact that concussions are so common many players will most likely receive multiple over their careers in the league. This repetitive trauma is more extreme than a single concussion, damaging the organ that controls life itself. Research has been done on the postmortem brains of multiple players and they all have the same problems. Their brains are notable impaired compared to a normal one. This deterioration in the brain causes an extremely diminished life span and once again decreased way of life. For this reason, NFL players should stop playing football after they receive their first concussion due to the undeniable fact that it is a severe brain injury, the money is not worth the long term brain damage, and affects the quality of life after they are done in the league.

The first time that any researcher found any evidence to prove that concussions caused serious brain damage was when Bennet Omalu observed Mike Webster's brain once he died. (Lakas). When Omalu first looked at Webster's brain he expected to see what is called "punch-drunk syndrome" which is commonly seen in boxers due to the repeated head trauma that they receive over their careers. In a shocking ordeal, Omalu saw absolutely no signs of this disease. Webster's brain was completely normal from the outside and looked like there were no signs of damage. But he then examined the brain closer and he saw large build ups of a protein called tau that is usually only found in elderly people. It was unheard of to be found in a 50 year old man who was a pro athlete. This led him to believe that he now saw the effects of the repeated hits in the NFL on Webster's brain. Omalu decided to call this brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy, CTE. This disease was caused by the repeated hits and concussions that theses professional players experience over their careers in the hard hitting league. Not only does CTE affect the brain after the fact, but it has many symptoms that prevalent during their time in the NFL. CTE's symptoms included "depression, memory loss, and some cases dementia". (Breslow). These findings, by Omalu, revolutionized the NFL because it showed what was happening to their players over the years which caused them immense pain and a shortened life. Many were astonished by the discovery, as not a lot of research had been previously discovered. 

There have been many cases of players who have exhibited the extreme symptoms of CTE. These players are not able to speak properly, retain memory, or even function like the average human. Before Mike Webster's death, he was said to have run away from home many times and just roam around the streets of Pittsburgh and he would then sleep under the bridges at night. He was having so much difficulty sleeping that he would taze himself in the side so he would be knocked unconscious so he could get just a few hours of sleep (Laskas). His brain had completely failed him by his death at the age of 50. The findings in his brain paved the way for many other players to eventually be diagnosed with CTE. The only problem with diagnosing this disease is that is can only be seen once the player is deceased. Since CTE is a fairly recent disease, there isn't a lot of research resulting in the disease to be very difficult to diagnose. The brain actually must be cut open to determine if the disease is prevalent. The symptoms can be seen as the player is alive but no definite answers can be given until an autopsy is complete. Webster is not the only player to be diagnosed with this horrible disease. Researchers with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University "identified the degenerative disease known as CTE in 96 percent of NFL players that they've examined" (Breslow). They believe that the disease is caused by repetitive head trauma such as concussions. It is now seen that the repetitive blows that these players receive throughout the years is directly linked to the degenerative brain disease, CTE. Since these players brain have been compromised from the continuous trauma, the results leaves them unable to function as a normal human. For some players the inability to function as a normal person causes them to commit suicide to end their suffering. There have been many cases, even just recently, of extremely well known players that have been found dead in their houses because they cannot remember or do anything properly. Junior Seau, who played for the New England Patriots, committed suicide at the age of 43. Another player is Jovan Belcher who killed his girlfriend and himself at the age of 25 ("Athletes and CTE"). These players are not mentally stable which is why they commit these acts. Most of them donate their brains to research so that research can be done to further investigate how this disease forms over the years of constant impact. This disease is so prevalent in former NFL players that it cannot be ignored and must be prevented.

Why would a player continue to play football is they know that their life will be cut almost in half and their quality of life would almost be nonexistent? I strive to argue that players in the National Football League should stop playing after they receive their first concussion. A concussion causes too much damage to their brain and when you add that to the constant micro trauma they receive after each hit it all adds up to serious brain issues after they retire such as CTE. According to the NFL Players Association "the average career length is about 3.3 years" ("Average NFL Career Length | Statistic."). That is about three seasons of constant hits in games and practices. This is not even including the multitude of hits that they receive from the age they start playing all the way up to this point in the professional league. The effect to the brain from this constant pounding is not worth playing the short amount of just three seasons in the NFL. The player's brain is much more valuable than to have said they played in the NFL. Most players never even make it to a Super Bowl so this means that they are risking 50 years of their lives to play about 48 games total professionally. The research is clearly showing that football players are exhibiting all the symptoms of CTE. The quality of life that these player will experience after they retire will be nothing of their families because they might not even be able to talk to their daughter or remember their grandsons' name. This disease affects the most important organ that we have so why would someone want to harm it if they have the choice not to? I believe that making players retire after their first concussion will allow them to still have a normal life when they are older. Chris Borland, formally with the San Francisco 49ers, retired after just one season in the NFL due to the fact that he received a concussion in the pre-season and he said "From what I've researched and what I've experienced, I don't think it's worth the risk" ("NFL Player Chris..."). He realized that the rest of his life was more important that playing football. He said that he wanted to be proactive before he started seeing symptoms and it was too late. This shows that even just some of the players are aware of the extreme implications that come with having concussions. So even though players might choose to continue to play after a concussion do you think they would let their only children play football? Mike Ditka, Hall Of Fame tight end and former head coach of the Chicago Bears, believes that even though he has played his whole life he would not allow his son to play. When he was asked if he would let his kids play he states, "It's sad. I wouldn't. And my whole life was football. I think the risk is worse than the reward. I really do" (Fatherly). This shows that even Hall of Fame players do not think that football is worth risking their brains over. There is a fine line that these players are walking when they choose to step in each play and take a blow to the head that causes trauma. Each blow to the head they get is basically minutes off their life. There is research that shows that once a player receives on concussion they are "1-2 times more likely to receive a second one" and each concussion after that the likelihood drastically continues to increase ("Concussion Facts | Sports Concussion Institute."). So when that player thinks that this will be the only concussion that they will receive they are extremely wrong because their odds of getting another rise with each hit. Playing in the National Football League is not worth the detrimental years after due to the extreme brain trauma they have received. 

Although I believe that players should stop playing once they receive a concussion there are many different way to make sure that the players stay safe after receiving trauma to the head. The NFL has implemented many new rules to try and reduce the likelihood of a concussion. They moved up the kick off location so that players would not be able to reach their peak running speed by the time they got to the other side of the field to defend. Also there is not only athletic trainers on the side lines, but one up in the press box. The athletic trainer that is in the back has one job to solely keep a look out for any plays that may have caused potential head trauma to a player in which they radio down to the side lines and make sure the player is checked out before they are allowed to return to play. There is also a five step protocol that player must pass after they have received a concussion to return to play. When Robert Griffin III was supposedly cleared for play, the decision was reversed just 24 hours later. The five steps that he had to go through were rest and recovery, light aerobic exercise, continued aerobic with introduction of strength training, football- specific work, and finally full football activity with full clearance. (Clarke). Normally these steps take about a day each to complete but RG3 completed steps 1-4 in less than three days. Every concussion is vastly different so these protocols are very unspecific in what they believe the player should be able to accomplish at each step. Player are able to rush through these steps which only makes them more like to receive another one. These rules though have yet to show any definite signs of reducing the likelihood of concussions. Another reason that players might still play after a concussion or even with one is that they really do not care about what will happen to them. These players want to play in the NFL for as long as possible and do not care about injuries. Maurice Jones-Drew from the Jacksonville Jaguars said that he would simply "Hide it", he would not allow the concussion to interfere with the game. He continued on saying "I know there will be a day when I'm going to have trouble walking. I realize that, but this is what I signed up for" ("Players Still Willing to Hide Head Injuries."). Players do not care about the consciousness that come along with concussions. Most of them know that they will not be able to do almost anything of what they are able to do now later on in life. The player rather continue playing the game and just seek help after because this is what they have worked their whole lives for. They will not let anything get in their way. Many players do say that they would be more likely to report symptoms of a concussion if they received more information about them or if they better knew the affects later down in life ("Players Still Willing to Hide Head Injuries."). They believe that if they are given speeches or can see players that are having serious CTE symptoms that they might be more likely to report one once they get it. Stanford Routt from the Oakland Raiders said "You're never going to be totally safe from concussion in this game, this is the only place where you can actually legally assault people" ("Players Still Willing to Hide Head Injuries."). Even though you are never safe from a concussion it does not mean that you have to continue playing after you receive one. One could potentially play an entire career in the NFL and never be diagnosed with a concussion and still have CTE just because they decided that playing in that one game was much more important than having a quality life after football ended. 

NFL football players should stop playing after they receive one concussion. There is so much evidence showing how the brain deteriorates due to all the blunt force that is placed it. Repeated concussions lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy later on in the players' life which causes them to have a poor quality of life which is usually cut short for medical reasons but more commonly suicide from the constant burden of having to deal with this disease. The rules that the National Football League has been installing are trying to reduce concussions but there is not any research evidence to prove that is actually decreasing the amount of concussions that are occurring. The players are also part of the problem because they choose to play through a concussion and get one more game in rather than stopping and helping save what left they have of their already unhealthy brains. CTE is an aggressive disease that now player should ever even debate reporting a concussion. It is not worth ruining their life. The career of a football player is short and is gone in the blink of the eye but the lasting effects of the repeated brain trauma will stay with them forever.

