KARE 11: Former players weigh in on the future of football (including Ben Utecht)

[BleedGopher]

per KARE 11:

Ben Utecht, a former Minnesota Gophers great who won a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts, has become an outspoken proponent of better care for players.

He paid the price for football glory with severe memory loss.

“Things like forgetting a best friend’s wedding and singing in his wedding," he said. "You know, things like that no longer have relevance because I don’t remember them."

And yet despite his struggles with brain trauma, Utecht still loves the game. “It’s a dangerous game and injuries are a part of it. Concussions are a part of it,” he concedes.

But Utecht believes by increasing education around brain injury, and taking better care of those who do become injured, football can survive.

“I would hope in 20 years we are still celebrating the game of football,” he said. “If we can get that taken care of, I think, 'Why can’t we still enjoy this game?'”

http://www.kare11.com/article/news/former-players-weigh-in-on-the-future-of-football/89-515042586

Go Gophers!!

 

[mplsbadger]

With all the emphasis that it is the little collisions that add up, it would be interesting to understand the difference between what a player experiences today vs. the 1940’s.

A player in the forties probably began organized football in the 9th grade, played 8 games a year in high school, 9 games in college, 12 in the pros.

A lineman from Florida today probably started playing at seven, played 11 games a year in high school, 14 in college, 21 in the pros (incl. pre-season). Spring football in HS & college.

The average 25 year old NFL’er today has probably played more snaps than Johnny Unitas played in his career.