A suicide note left by Dave Duerson.
(For the record... Suicide is never the answer. RIP Dave Duerson.)
Man... I just read an article by Pete Prisco on CBSsports.com titled, “NFL safeties bring the pain now, pay for it later,” and it really made me sit back and analyze what exactly it is I do for a living. It pretty much says that the position of safety is the most dangerous position to play in the NFL. ...Personally, I agree.
As a safety, you’re 10-15 yards off the line of scrimmage and you just straight-up hit people. You hit running backs and receivers at full speed! And when you’re a strong safety who’s coming down in the box, you’re body is going to get destroyed when impact is made. You simply can’t avoid brutal blows. They’re inevitable. Safeties make 85+ tackles per season, and, as one of those safeties, I can tell you that every single one of them will rattle you up.
When you’re playing, you don’t always stop to think about the ramifications the game has on your body. But, 15 years from now, if you’re lucky to have played 7-8 seasons, how will your body feel then? I shudder to think about it. But, like the article says, the trade-off for the punishment you receive is the money you earn -- That’s why guys play -- That’s why they bang their head. Deep down, you know the health problems that are going to come on down the road, but you continue to play your ass off, because you love the sport.
After hearing about the recent reports of suicides, how can someone like myself not begin to take the dangers of my job more seriously? Apparently, no one knows what the suicides were linked to, but I think it’s safe to assume they were caused by years and years of on-the-job injuries. I mean, let’s get real -- When we hit someone, the force of the impact is similar to two small cars crashing into one another. And there aren’t airbags in football -- No sir. Just like a car accident can put you in the ER, so, too, can a one-on-one with Adrian Peterson.
There are guys in the game right now who are already experiencing the ramifications the safety position can have on the body. Bob Sanders has only -- I think -- played 9 games over the course of three seasons. Ed Reed has, reportedly, contemplated retirement. And Troy Polamalu has missed 13 games in the past two seasons. ...These guys represent some of the best safeties in the NFL, and they’re feeling the pains of the game well before their careers are supposed to come to a close.
You never really want to think about brain injuries when you’re on the field. You write off such thoughts by reminding yourself how you’re a smart player who’s able to steer clear of the instances in which you could get seriously hurt. But, the fact of the matter is that it truly is impossible to always make a proper tackle that’s safe for you, as well as your opponent. Head-to-head contact happens too often for anyone to make a claim that it can be avoided. All you’re really left to do is do your job and hope for the best.
I tackle guys who are 20-30 pounds heavier than I am -- I’ve seen awful injuries happen -- I’ve heard about surgeries I never-Ever-EVER want to deal with -- And knowing all this makes me take the kinds of precautions I feel I need to take in order to stay as safe as possible. But this article on CBSsports.com -- man -- it’s a real eye-opener. You know you play a dangerous game, but, for some strange reason, when that fact is spelled out in an article, it hits home a little harder.
My sixth season is upon me. I hope it’s a safe one...