Bo Jackson ran for 2,782 yards and 16 touchdowns, however he said “I would have never played football.” If he knew about the risk of concussions and head injuries. Several players have also decided to retire from the NFL early. They chose their family and health over football and millions of dollars. So that’s why the NFL and others need to design safer ways to play the game and preventing severe head injuries. Starting with concussions, not only in the current players but in future and former players too. A concussion happens when the head is hit, the brain sloshes around inside the skull, and hits against each side and wall of the skull.

As of Brainline, there are several signs of experiencing a concussion: headache, fatigue, dizziness, confusion, trouble sleeping, nausea, ears ringing, or sensitive eyes. These are also several short term effects another is memory loss which can become a long term effect. Also headaches or migraines can be long term effects too. But concussions start to get bad when someone suffers multiple concussions like NFL players.

From 2012-2015 there were 967 reported concussion as of CNN, for roughly 2000 players. That's nearly half of the players, however these also include repeat concussions so it’s hard to tell how many different players had a concussion. Several players have decided to retire early. AJ Tarpley a former linebacker for the Buffalo Bills, called it quits after his rookie season. Chris Borland decided to hang it up after his rookie season too. Borland was a linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers. These two took the side that the NFL doesn’t have enough protection for head injuries just yet.

People have looked into safer ways to play the game, like wearing leather helmets instead of mostly plastic ones. However, leather helmets have an increase in skull fractures. Another idea is D30 or what most call Orange Goo. The Orange Goo is a substance that is a liquid, but becomes a solid when it is hit. They have also discussed using the Goo for military needs. The goo is another idea that would help prevent Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy or CTE. CTE is the buildup of tau protein in the brain. Bennet Omalu, the man who discovered CTE, thinks that they could create a tau medicine. The medicine  would hopefully prevent the buildup of tau protein in the brain and CTE. Many former players who have died tested positive for CTE.

CTE isn’t the only disease affecting these players. Dementia and Alzheimer's have had a roles in their post football lives too. However CTE can only be discovered once a player has died and an autopsy been performed. Of the 94 players that have had autopsies, 90 of them tested positive for CTE reported by CBS news. Mike Webster was one of those individuals. being the first player diagnosed with CTE. He was a lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers, He was elected into the Hall of Fame. After his death, Webster’s estate and countless others choose to sue the NFL. Whether the player is in the Hall of Fame or just practice squad they were at risk of injury too.

With hundreds of players getting concussions each year, protection for each and every player needs to improve. The older and former players have suffered through the injuries that await the players of today. The men that decide to retire early aren’t afraid, they’re smarter than everybody else. They realize that family, friends, and life are much more important than a game. I’m sure Bo Jackson isn’t the only player to regret his decision on playing in the NFL. We need to create safer way for our players to play. So we all can enjoy the marvelous game of football.