In the year of 1686, one scientist forever revolutionized the world’s understanding of science and the natural world. This man’s name was Sir Isaac Newton. Newton was an English mathematician, astronomer, and physicist who had a great interest in the physical universe. One of his most famous scientific discoveries were his three laws of motion, published in his book, Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica. The second law of motion he defined, that a force is proportional to the magnitude of the mass and acceleration of an object, can be applied to many different aspects of life (NASA). One application of Newton’s second law can be found within the sport of football. In modern football, players have become bigger, faster, and stronger. The result of these factors, as explained by Sir Isaac Newton, has created a dangerous game with an increasing occurrence of injuries. Today, the most common injuries while playing football are concussions and other types of head trauma. The head injuries that players will sustain throughout the course of the game are negatively impacting the bodies and lives of many players after football. For the sport of football, it is time for change. The increase in head trauma has prompted a debate about whether playing football is worth the damage an athlete’s body will face during play. The statistics and studies show the extent at which concussions are currently plaguing the game. The evaluation of a life after football also helps to show the lasting impact that head trauma, from football, can have on the body. Concussions in football have turned the game into a vicious sport, therefore, changes must be made to protect both the players and the sport of football.

Over the past decade, statistics on head injuries have shown that the sport of football has grown increasingly dangerous. As explained by Newton’s second law, players now face a greater risk of head injuries of increasing magnitude. The rate of concussions per play have grown exponentially. Studies completed by the NFL, or the National Football League, have shown that players are now 58% more likely than players from a decade ago, to receive a concussion while playing football (McCrea). Damage from concussions may only seem to be the result of big hits the head. Despite this belief, the small repetitive blows to the head have also shown to have a drastic impact on the health of the brain. Therefore, the football community needs better methods to identify and prevent concussions. By the nature of the game, concussions will happen, but what is being done after the concussions is what can be the most alarming. According to a study completed by NCAA football doctors, an astounding 85% of concussions from football go will untreated. Additionally, players are also returning to play an average of two weeks earlier than they should (McCrea). This then causes the returning player to be even more likely to receive another concussion. Thus, the result is a player who has already had damage done to his brain, while continuing to place himself at risk with each ensuing play. To protect the players, the football community must focus on better diagnosing concussions during games. The current rate of concussions and lack of immediate medical care for those who have been concussed are what make football exponentially more dangerous today. 

To further show the dangers hidden within the game of football, it is important to understand what happens to the brain after a concussion. When a player experiences a head injury, the athlete’s brain receives tiny tears within the brain tissue. After the tears are made, the body responds by producing the tau protein in these tears. As the tau protein builds up, it becomes increasingly more difficult for people to recover from any further head trauma. This protein is also linked to various brain diseases, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, which slowly degenerates the brain (Muchnick 165). Many other cognitive disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and dementia have been linked to tau and the head injuries occurring during football. In a study by Dr. Frank Conidi, a correlation between those who have played football at the collegiate level or above and head injuries were made. His findings showed that 40% of players will show abnormal brain structures due to repetitive blows to the head (Park). This extremely large percentage shows exactly how much is at risk every time a player steps onto a football field. As more studies are completed and medical research continues to grow, the dangers of football have become much more evident. If nothing is done to the sport of football, the statistics may only rise, creating an even more dangerous game. Therefore, to build a safer environment, football leagues across the country need to make efforts to lower these statisistics. With the use of the newest data and technologies, leagues around the United States can work to learn which steps should be made to stop the damage from head trauma, and to discover better methods of post-concussion treatment.

On the date of May 2, 2012, the football community lost one of the greatest players to ever play the game. Junior Seau, a twenty year veteran and NFL Hall of Famer, sadly took his own life at his home in Oceanside, California. Junior Seau had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, raising questions from many about the tragic event. Doctors had believed that Seau may have left his brain in tact so it could be used for concussion research. Upon completion of an autopsy, doctors identified a large quantity of the tau protein in his brain (NFL Football Hits). In what may seem like a rare event, the occurrence of suicides amongst NFL players is more common than expected. Over 20 football players have committed suicide, and all have shown some signs of CTE or brain damage. From the deaths of Junior Seau and various other NFL players, the National Football League has been able to link football and degenerative brain disease. Unfortuneatly, as Junior Seau experienced, the game of football takes a great toll on one’s body. Life is far greater than anything anyone can gain from the sport of football. The football community must accept that the sport is killing the players, both metaphorically and physically. Therefore a change must be created before any more lives of the ones we love are lost.

Every time a player takes the field, they place themselves at risk for hundreds of life changing injuries. In the long run, the lasting impacts from football are not worth living with a lifetime of pain. There are no awards, salaries, or passions for the game that can justify the life threatening injuries one can receive during football. Ethically, society should clearly indicate that all athletes should stay clear of the game that can lead to CTE, Alzheimer’s disease, suicide, death, and more (NFL Football Hits). An imense ammount of responsibility resides within a player each time they take the field, in order to keep himself, teammates, and opponents as safe as possible. Many ex-NFL players have spoken out against the sport, due to the negative impact it can have on the body and mind. In a recent interview, Heisman Trophy award winner and National Football League Hall of Famer Bo Jackson shared his current viewpoints on the game of football. He expressed his distaste for the game, due to the potential for head injury, and even went as far as saying he never would have played had he known the risks involved (Payne). When current and previous National Football League stars speak out against the sport that they put years of effort into, there is a clear and obvious need for change within the game. With the years of experience and knowledge that players like Bo Jackson and Brett Farve have, their opinions should be greatly respected. Given that each of these players have experienced first hand what repetitive head trauma can do to the body, leagues across the country should be listening. In reality, life is more than just the game of football. Therefore, athletes should consider their life and health after the sport, before ever stepping onto the field.

In the game of football, there is a level of responsibility that falls into the hands of the fans. Every year, millions of people take to the stadiums and their couches to watch all different levels of play. Football has become a major part of American culture, but should society be so interested in such a dangerous game? The answer to this question can be found within an article written by Mark Diaz Truman. In his article, One Hit Too Many, Truman explains that fans watch football for the big hits and hard tackles, which are the most dangerous part of the game. Every football fan across the country loves seeing a defender hit an opponent so hard that their helmet flies off. Sadly, these plays often result in major damage to both players. This desire for the concussion causing hits has created a vicous culture surrounding the game (Truman). Instead of the hits and tackles, fans should focus on the individual skillsets and talents of players. It is highly immoral to enjoy a sport for all the same reasons that can negatively impact the life of an athlete forever. Therefore, the ideology of safety first should always take a precedent over everything else in any sport or game. Many ex-NFL players have spoken out against football due to the negative impact it can have on the players. In a recent interview, Bo Jackson, a Heisman Trophy award winner and National Football League Hall of Famer, shared his opinion of the game of football. He had expressed his distaste for the game, due to the potential for injury, and even went as far as saying he never would have played had he known the risks (Payne). When current and past National Football League stars begin to speak out against a sport that they personally put years of effort into, there is a clear and obvious need for change within the game. With the years of experience and knowledge of the game possessed by such players, their opinions should be greatly respected. In all, life is more than just the game of football, thus athletes should consider their life and health after the sport, before ever stepping onto the field. 

In response to the growing dangers within the sport of football, there are many different things that can be done to create a safer atmosphere. The first change that can be done to football is a move towards rules that make safer play. Of the many components of a football game, kickoffs, punt returns, and tackling should be an area of focus for rule changes. Statistically, kickoffs and punt returns have the highest rate of injury, per play, in the entire game (McCrea). League officials should work to limit the number of kickoffs and punts that occur each game. Officials may also want to discuss potentially removing these parts of the game as a whole. Essentially, the game will become safer if the high risk plays are removed from the game. As for tackling, there should be stricter rules on when and where a player can be hit. Despite the dangers, the head and neck area are typically where a defender will target his hits. These regions of the body are already protected from contact in specific situations, but this region should ultimately be ruled as a no hit zone (Truman). To ensure that these new rules are followed, bigger penalties and fines should be awarded to players who violate the rules. Both punishments are highly undesirable, thus influencing the tackler to hit appropriate areas of the body. As a result, players will be less likely to make a tackle that threatens the safety of both themselves and their opponent. 

A second thing that can be done to protect the safety of players is to show more emphasis on proper tackling and hitting. This solution can be applied at all levels of football, ranging from pee-wee to professional. The majority of football injuries can be prevented by using the proper form to tackle. Players, especially younger athletes, have a tendency to lead their tackles with their head down, while aiming for the head of their opponent. The resulting hit leaves both players susceptible to head injuries, paralysis, and even death (Park). What a player does in practice is also what a player will do in a game. Coaches across the country should stress tackling with the shoulder, keeping the head up, and hitting in the numbers of the opponent, to ensure complete safety. These proper tackling techniques taught and rehearsed in practice will then transfer into the game. By teaching football players to tackle with the proper form and techniques, the number of head and neck injuries will drastically decrease. 

Not only will rules changes and proper technique help to create a safer game, but the equipment each player wears can play a large role in the safety of the players. Newer technology for helmets can help to disperse the impact from hits. Smaller impacts received by a players will result in fewer concussions and head injuires. The National Football League currently has a hundred million dollor initiative aimed at concussion research. With their research fundings, league scientists and doctors will study the impacts of concussions, and work to build safer helmets and equipment (Scutti). New materials that better absorb the impact of hits can also lessen the likelyhood of injury within each hit. Today’s society is very advanced, and although it make take time to develop, the proper materials and equipment for safety can be invented. This technology will help to revolutionize player safety, and can be the change that the game needs. Football may have turned into a vicous sport, but the changes that created such a dangerous game can reversed with these solutions. As a whole, leagues across the country should focus their efforts on making universal changes within the game, essentially saving the sport of football. 

Since the year of 1869, the sport of football has left its mark on American history. Millions of people from all walks of life have played the very same game that students at Rutgers University and Princeton University first played in New Brunswick, New Jersey (Muchnick 26). This long tradition of football is also what has promted many football enthusiasts to stand against change within the game. Football was derived from the sport of rugby, therefore, it is destined that the sport will be brutal and rough. Given the long history of football, the changes that the game is currently undergoing has left many fans upset. Arguably so, the game is becoming transformed into almost an entirely new sport. Given the vast set of limitations set out by organizations, such as the National Football League and USA Football, the sport that everyone knows and loves is becoming very unfamiliar (Chadiha). The changing rules have completely altered the flow of the game. Penalties and fines for illegal hits and contact now plague every single down. As a result, many people have stood against change, because the sport they love is being replaced by an entirely unique, new game. 

A second reason why there are advocates against change within the sport of football lies within the the personal responsibility of each player. Due to the increasing knowledge about the potential risk for head trauma, it is understood that players are well aware of the risks they face prior to stepping onto the field. If not, each and every player should be educated about the dangers of football injuries before they ever play. Given prior knowledge of the risks, the choice of whether or not to play can be made individually by each player. If one believes that the game of football is too dangerous of a sport, then that individual could seek a less physical sport. There is no need to change a game that has been a part of American history for so long, just because some people believe that the game is too violent. Today, players are well aware of the inherent risks that come with playing football. These players also make it their own decision to play when they step onto the gridiron. Therefore every time a player steps out onto the field, they are accepting any injuries that may occur, and there should be no reason for changes. 

Lastly, the recent debate over the dangers of football has caught the attention of many tough players across the country. The general consensus of these players, as highlighted by Jeffri Chadiha, in Heed the Cry of the Tough Guys, is that today’s football has simply become too soft. In the past, especially during the 1970s and 1980s, football was known to be a hard-nosed sport. The general nature of the game is to focribly move a ball across a line defended by the other team (Chadiha). Contact in football is inevitable, thus the players are supposed to be mean and tough. Making changes within the sport towards a safer and gentler style of play is rather contradictory of itself. Many people believe that most of what makes football the sport it is today would disappear if leagues took a softer and safer approach on football. Despite the various reasons as to why there should not be any change within the sport of football, society must step in before the game grows to dangerous. There is a fine line between a healthy lifestyle and one ridden with injury and disease. Football should not be the reason that someone has to suffer for a lifetime.  It is human nature to protect the people and things that society loves, therefore, the critics of change need to be silenced before the damage done by football becomes completely irreversible. 

In life, there are many more important things than football. The sport has grown to be exponentially dangerous, thus, there is a dire need for changes before the game gets out of control. Statistics have shown the rise in head, neck, and other life threating injuries from football. A direct link between various brain diseases and football has also been confirmed by doctors and scientists across the country. It is important to evaluate one’s potential life after football, when first deciding to play. Overall, society must greatly consider the ideology behind a healthy life when addressing the risks involved with football. There are many reasons why people stand against change, but one important underlying factor outweighs all the critics. All people are mortal. As living beings, humans are only given the opportunity for life just once. People are very precious and delicate creatures. In all, life is a terrible thing to waste. There are an infinite number of things in life, with greater meaning, than the game of football. Therefore, society must work to protect the brothers, fathers, friends, and loved ones that place themselves at risk every time they step on the field. At the end of the day, football is just a game. For the sake of the sport, something must be done to create a new, safe atmosphere surrounding the game, before it becomes too late. To save the sport of football and the many lives of its players, it all starts with a change.
