Jevan Snead has died

OMG - that article with the details of his struggles, mental spiral and death makes me incredibly sad

 

I’m in the boat with you Ole’one’. It is true how our attitude changes as we age - really age like starting 70’s. What a sad, sad story to read. I’ve joined the ‘not past Jr High crowd’ on playing football for the Grandkids.
Doubtful my last ones will have to worry about my feelings on it and fortunately the older ones played soccer. I do love the sport but like the earlier poster I find myself cringing at hits that involve the head - big time. In fact every time some injury occurs I feel self doubt.

 

Tennis, golf, track and field, baseball or basketball, just anything else. I regretted my parents making me quit when I was young for a spurious reason. Not that I was any good or would have been. But now I am so glad my knees still work unlike many of my age who were repaired from football injuries. The surgery was common then but just plain ineffective back then.

Not unlike when I voluntarily gave up riding motorcycles in my early thirties when I realized the dangers and that in event of survival of an accident, my body would not heal as well then and in my future years..

 

FW,

My 11 year old grandson loves tackle football, and is a very good/fast MLB and RB (sometimes QB). I dearly love the game, but I was scared to death every time my son put on a helmet, which began at 8. His career ended with him being carried unconscious to Breckenridge. Fortunately, no permanent damage.

My grandson is an honor student and reads everything he can on CTE. He is still playing, but is now focusing on lacrosse and baseball (67 mph at 46 feet) while still playing football. The fact that the lacrosse powers are the highly ranked academic schools is appealing, although his current choice of Stanford isn't one of them. I'm not sure football will last past middle school.

When it's "yours", you have a whole new perspective on the game.

 

And Stanford is not a bad choice at all. Best of luck to your grandson.

 

Agree.

My oldest son played from early years flag football to HS Jr. Varsity. Long story short, he stopped playing football after that.

It was bitter sweet for me, but his mother and I were actually relieved the risk of a sports head injury was gone... or virtually gone.

 

This article reminded me today of my HS football playing daze and a friend...

Our team had a terrific RB that I played ball with since elementary school. Mike was very muscular - about 5-9 and 180 lbs. Ran low to the ground, hit like a freight train and frequently with his helmet. Our D guys always hated having to tackle him head-on in practice.

He was a punishing runner but he took a LOT of hard licks that I witnessed up close - I was our starting Center.

Mike got a number of concussions over the years. at least 2 that took him out the game and 1 our Senior year that benched him for the game the next week.

I see him about once every 5-10 years at a reunion, but I worry one day I will learn he has developed CTE from all those heads blows he took back in the day....