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OT: A cautionary tale that every kid who wants to be a football player should read

IdahoAlum said:
Luke Staley was an all-American RB at BYU. Today, he's 35, has had 23 surgeries and counting, and will need a shoulder and both knees replaced. His biggest regret? He didn't prepare for life after football. A very worthwhile read:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/...aying-a-painful-price-for-gridiron-glory.html
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It doesn't say whether any ncaa-funded health insurance is assisting him with his care. I think I know the answer, though. In the same situation today, it's significantly more like that he would have quit football at some point, which is a good thing.

As for the regret question, career-wise it seems he's doing fine. If I were him, I'd regret the decision to play without an ACL.
 
He seems like an incredibly bright guy who gambled everything on football instead of following his dream of going to med school. Hence, he got a sociology degree and is selling medical equipment, vice getting a degree in biology and going to medical school.
 
It's a bit surprising to read that he is still lifting weights after all of the wear and tear and surgeries. I walked away from it after tearing my rotator cuff and labrum in a ski fall, and having the orthopede tell me that the inside of my shoulder looked like that of a Bears' offensive linemen (he had operated on Garza and a few others). In other words, the wear and tear was significant.

That is what got me into biking and swimming. I have not bench pressed anything more than 180 lbs since, and have no plans to.

I like his photography. Cities are totally different late at night. Maybe that will be his next career.
 
IdahoAlum said:
He seems like an incredibly bright guy who gambled everything on football instead of following his dream of going to med school. Hence, he got a sociology degree and is selling medical equipment, vice getting a degree in biology and going to medical school.
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It's interesting that this situation really hinges on two of Colter's major platforms (forgive me for inarticulate words-in-mouth):
1. Ongoing medical care for injuries suffered as a result of the sports
2. Access to the unencumbered education available to 'normal' (thinking of Colter's story of dropping a lab course)

For what it's worth, he also could have made a different choice than 'give me the quickest way to a degree'. But he also had the misfortune to be encouraged to get married early and to procreate early and often - after fizzling in the nfl, he certainly could have made a different decision, but he was focused on the kid on the way and made the hasty decision. (There's a huge safety net available to practitioners that he's contributing to now - it's designed in part for people in the situation he was in 15 years ago and he should have taken advantage.)
 
Yep, get that sheepskin.
I go to golf outings and pro/ ams every year with 50 - 60, even 70 year old former NFL players who were hit more often and were victims of 100's of 'targeted" hits and they are no worse off than anyone else in the general population, often healthier due to being wealthy and upscale.
Sure that's anecdotal but there's more truth there than most believe, all the old players are looking for a money grab from the Billionaire owners now and well they should, they played for nothing and took the hits.
 
LeftyLarry said:
Yep, get that sheepskin.
I go to golf outings and pro/ ams every year with 50 - 60, even 70 year old former NFL players who were hit more often and were victims of 100's of 'targeted" hits and they are no worse off than anyone else in the general population, often healthier due to being wealthy and upscale.
Sure that's anecdotal but there's more truth there than most believe, all the old players are looking for a money grab from the Billionaire owners now and well they should, they played for nothing and took the hits.
Click to expand...

Research -- and at this point we're talking early research -- suggests a genetic component to likelihood of concussions. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a genetic link to recovery from concussions as well.
 
I performed entry exams and in season injury evaluations for the Redskins many years ago. I would disagree with the statement that NFL players are no different than the general population. NFL players pay a heavy price to their long term health by playing football
 
Been there and though I had some restrictions I have no regrets. I put my body out there and paid a price to get my N.U. education. I have lived a good life and pushed through the pain much as I did when I was playing.
 
Not trying to be boorish, but skeletons can be found with captioning "cautionary tales for kids who want to be" with any pursuit or career path . . . outside of shuffleboard and checkers I suppose.
 
You're going to have injuries in every sport and the longer you play the worse the injuries get. You either don't play sports and play it safe, you stop before you get to the level where the injuries can really pile up, you play until you see the cost benefit analysis being negative which may never happen.

Point is that it's not just football. I've got a busted ankle from high school volleyball and destroyed back from cheerleading. Greg Oden, Penny Hardaway, Yao Ming... destroyed their bodies playing basketball. It's pretty much assumed that pitchers will need Tommy John. Tennis players fight knee, elbow and rotatory cuff issues. Then there is hockey, which has the football issues and knives.
 
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