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Football : America 's Greatest Pastime And Favorite All American Sport Essay

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Football: America’s greatest pastime and favorite all-American sport hides one of our nation’s biggest health concerns; concussions. On average, boys can begin playing tackle football at the age of five and weighing a minimum of 35 pounds, and from that point on they are taught the values of strategy, tackling, running, and teamwork. (Warner, 2016) Some of those children will later become the Professional Football players or college level players.
Players in the National Football League (NFL) are currently bigger than ever in NFL history; coming in at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Cam Newton is bigger than most offensive linemen in the 1960s. (Gaines, 2015) Now imagine that hitting you at an average of 4.56 feet-per-second on a 40-yard dash – that’s roughly 1600 pounds of tackling force connecting with player’s bodies and leading to severe concussions. (Higgins, 2009) These concussions lead to blackouts on the field, mental confusion/disorientation, and debilitating long-term effects such as daily migraines, memory loss, and nausea. (Cerebrum Health Centers, 2013)
Current Situation
Concussions in football happen more often than any coach or parent would like to admit. It is human nature to try and work past any kind of injury we may have, especially when it’s sport related. When asked what he would do, Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew- along with 23 of the 44 other NFL players interviewed- said they would try to conceal a possible concussion rather than pull

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