Concussion Safety Must Remain a Focus
According to NCAA research, participation in high school football dropped roughly 10% over the last decade. More student-athletes are recognizing the physical risks of the sport. Injuries happen at a rapid rate, but few have the lifelong impact of concussions and subsequent brain injuries.
While the sport still boasts over 1 million high school players, that number drops as athletes reach the collegiate level. Even fewer players make it to the pros. The ones that do may have already suffered multiple concussions along the way.
If this season of football has shown anything, it’s that concussions are still a prominent factor in the sport.
Michigan Wolverines quarterback Dylan McCaffrey went down on September 21st after a brutal hit put him out of the game against the Wisconsin Badgers with a concussion.
Kedon Slovis, the quarterback of the USC Trojans, hit his head on the ground after a tackle in the team’s game against Washington, forcing him out for two weeks.
Even in the NFL, Mason Rudolph of the Pittsburgh Steelers took a scary hit, and his body went motionless. A concussion knocked him out cold.
We still see far too many concussions occur, but that doesn’t mean the focus on safety should stop.
Continued Focus on Player’s Health
While safety protocols, helmet advances, and other measures are in place to help student-athletes, there must remain a primary focus on health. Teams should focus on providing their players with valuable information, testing them properly after a concussion, and following protocol to the tee before allowing them to return to in-game action.
The moment that teams prioritize the game over the safety of the player is when college football finds itself in even more trouble. They claim that the safety research they continue to perform is not about lawsuits, but there’s no denying how many exist. The legal ramifications are there and will continue to be there so long as teams fail to report concussions.
Our sports concussion lawyers at Shrader & Associates work hard to protect student-athletes and their rights. Trust in our team to help you navigate the process when you need to pursue legal action. We help those who suffer multiple concussions because of their former team’s oversights.
Let us help. Call us at (877) 958-7920 today.