Concussion Free Football

On November 18, 1985 Lawrence Taylor rushed Joe Theisman, long time Quarterback of the Washington Redskins, from behind and tackled him in the legs and comminuted compound fractured his left leg. This was an injury that could not have been prevented with better pant equipment. Equipment alone cannot stop concussions in a sport in which collisions are a part of every play. Football is a violent sport in which injuries occur; it is inevitable. The evolution of the equipment in the National Football League (NFL) is supposed to stop the concussion rate; however it is becoming more of a problem with the new helmets. However the equipment is only half of the problem. The lack of technique in the NFL is also being pointed at as a major problem with more players lowering seeing what they hit. Helmets alone cannot stop concussions; cooperation from the players and coaches will be required on and off the field to correct this reoccurring problem.

Football is a violent and fast sport in which many injuries cannot be avoided. When proper technique is used on a tackle the shoulder proceeds down and the head remains up. However the axis of the body of the runner goes down, and the head is lowered, which is the body natural response when anticipating an impact. As the tackler moves forward his axis is also lowered to the point where head on collisions are uncontrollable, and even though both had taken proper technique there is still a chance of brain trauma. This would be a case of when the concussion is an event that could not be controlled with new equipment or any technology.

According to Dr. Patrick J. Fernicola a concussion occurs when the brain tissue is shifted dramatically forward or backward in to the Meninges, a membrane lining t...

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