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Malik Lewis Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1102 September 26, 201 The INJURY

In the past !ew "ears there has been a large !ocus on concussions an# athletes$ %ot &ust pro!essional athletes, but college, high school, an# e'er" other competiti'e sports le'el$ (he importance o! the athlete)s heath a!ter being on the !iel# or court is !ar more important than the current game in which the" are participating$ In the past !ew "ears, in all le'els o! competiti'e sports, league o!!icials are becoming more an# more concerne# about concussions an# the health o! the athletes brain$ It is important to maintain a !un an# entertaining sport, but sa!et" shoul# be the top concern$ *ootball is one o! the most ph"sical an# contact sports in the worl#$ In +merican !ootball some o! the most memorable pla"s are the ones when one pla"er hits or tackles another pla"er as !orce!ul as possible$ +lthough these pla"s are e,citing an# #e!ine the sport !ootball, the" can be e,tremel" unhealth" to both athletes$ Most o! these tackles in'ol'e some hea#-to-hea# contact$ .ea#-to-hea# contact occurs when the #e!ensi'e tackler makes hea# contact with the o!!ensi'e pla"er$ *or man" "ears concussions ha'e not been completel" o'erlooke#, but the" &ust were taken as seriousl" as the" shoul# ha'e$ /ntil recent "ears, concussions were not taken seriousl" b" the league o!!icials simpl" because the" were not taken serious b" the pla"ers$ Most !ootball pla"ers ha'e a cra0" source o! moti'ation while pla"ing in a game$ (he" take on a mentalit" that

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ma" cause them to !eel like the" are unstoppable an# all-power!ul$ (he" can incur an in&ur" #uring a game an# re!use to sit out the rest o! the game$ *or e,ample, in week three o! the 201 %*L season, a pla"er name# 1asha# 2ohnson, a linebacker !or the +ri0ona Car#inals, literall" lost the tip o! his in#e, !inger in the mi##le o! a game$ +ccor#ing to an article %*L$com, 2ohnson went to the si#eline, pulle# his han# out o! his glo'e, an# the tip o! is !inger was missing$ .e onl" misse# a !ew pla"s an# went back into the game$ 2ohnson later !oun# it the rest o! his !inger insi#e the glo'e$ +nother e,ample comes !rom the most talke# about pla"er in the 2012-201 %*L pla"o!!s$ 1obert 3ri!!in III, the starting 4uarter back !or the 5ashington 1e#skins, was perhaps the most e,citing pla"er to watch in the pla"o!!s because o! his spee#$ In his !inal game o! the pla"o!!s he was sacke# one pla" an# appeare# to be limping while running the ma&orit" o! the game$ 6eing a slow runner was out o! 3ri!!in)s character so e'er"one knew that something was wrong with him, e,cept him himsel!$ 3ri!!in continue# to pla" the game until he twiste# his leg on acci#ent an# completel" tore his anterior cruciate ligament 7+CL8$ .e woul# rather !inish the game, an# put his whole !ootball career in &eopar#", than sit out a !i, his leg be!ore reall" ba# in&ur" occurre#$ *ootball pla"ers #o not know how to #eci#e when it is no longer sa!e !or them to pla"$ (hese instances not onl" happen in pro!essional !ootball, but in all le'els o! this sport$ *ootball pla"ers will go to an e,treme be!ore the" #eci#e to stop pla"ing$ (he" can e,perience some hea# contact an# not know that the" ha'e a concussion, the" will not allow a 9little hea#ache: to stop them !rom pla"ing$ .a'ing pla"e# competiti'e !ootball in high school, I completel" un#erstan# an# can relate to the a'erage !ootball pla"er)s mentalit"$ In high school I belie'e that once or twice a game I woul# hit someone an# get a hea#ache imme#iatel" a!terwar#s$ I woul# &ust tr" to shake it o!! as best as I coul#, an# continue to pla" the game$ It

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ne'er crosse# m" min# that I ma"be I coul# ha'e a concussion$ (he whole team e,perience# the hea#aches an# we call them the 9stingers$: 5e all ignore# the hea#aches an# &ust kept pla"ing$ 5ithin m" !our "ears o! pla"ing in high school the concern with concussion began to become more serious each "ear$ E'entuall" we ha# to take a concussion test at the beginning o! the season, an# i! "ou e,perience# a concussion #uring the season "ou ha# to pass another concussion test to be cleare# to pla"$ I notice# that as the high school le'el began to get serious, the pro!essional league was e,tremel" serious about concussions an# pla"er sa!et"$ (he %*L starte# to change policies an# rules in or#er to make the games sa!er$ (he" starte# o!! b" changing the stan#ar# kicko!! pla"$ ;riginall" the ball was kicke# !rom the thirt" "ar# line, but the league mo'e the kicko!! to the thirt"-!i'e "ar# line$ (he !i'e "ar# #i!!erence is an attempt to make this pla" a lot sa!er$ (he kicko!! pla" is perhaps the most #angerous because each team is running towar#s each other at !ull spee#, an# a lot o! concussions an# in&uries occur on this pla"$ (he !i'e "ar# mo'ement makes it easier !or the kicker to kick the ball out o! boun#s, which results in no contact$ Man" pla"ers an# !ans hate# this rule change because the kicko!! can be the most e,citing an# electri!"ing pla" o! the !ootball game$ Man" !ans lo'e to see a gu" run a one hun#re# "ar# touch#own$ (he sa!et" o! the athletes is !ar more important that the e,citement or entertainment o! seeing a great pla"$ (he %*L has ma#e rule changes to the wa" #e!ensi'e pla"ers are allowe# to tackle$ .ea#-to-hea# contact #uring a tackle is now prohibite#, which also cause# an up heap among pla"er an# !ans$ Man" critics o! the new rules woul# sa" the new rules are making the game too so!t, an# less ph"sical$ Most people like !ootball because o! the contact an# ph"sicalit"$ I! the rules are making the game less ph"sical, then the game becomes less interesting$ (he reason

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wh" !ootball is so popular to#a" is because o! the contact$ Some o! the best, an# most memorable tackles o! all-time in the %*L woul# be illegal un#er the new rule$