Seau death should be an eye opener for NFL

The tragic death of former NFL player Junior Seau sent shock waves through the league this week, while leaving behind a list of unanswered questions. While we may never know the true reason for what moved Seau to take his own life, it's reasonable to speculate that head trauma suffered during his career may have played a part. If that's the case then this tragedy should open some eyes amongst NFL officials.

Junior Seau played 20 years in the NFL with the Chargers, Dolphins and Patriots.  In his younger years he was a defensive force in leading the team to a Super Bowl in 1994.  Patriots fans will remember Seau after spending the last 4 years of his career in New England.  He was part of the historic 16-0 season in 2007 and was often praised by coach Bill Belichick and his teammates for his veteran leadership.

Seau's death appears to have been the result of a self inflicted gun shot wound to the chest, which is eerily similar to the fate suffered by another former player, Dave Duerson. After his unfortunate death last year, a suicide note from Duerson was found that asked that his brain be donated to science to study the effect that brain damage caused by head trauma, such as concussions, may have had on his post-career life. It was concluded that Duerson suffered from degenerative brain disease from repeated head trauma, which can lead to depression. There have been no definitive studies linking concussions to suicide, but Duerson sure seemed to think there was. While Seau left no note behind, the fact that he copied Duerson's methods of shooting himself in the chest, to preserve the brain, sends a message in itself.

In recent years, concussions have become a major issue in professional sports. The NHL product has suffered in part from having the face of the league, Sidney Crosby, miss the better part of the past two seasons due to recurring symptoms from a devastating concussion. Others, such as Boston's Marc Savard, may have already seen a premature end to their time on the ice due to vicious head injuries. The NHL has become much more strict with their policies regarding allowing players with head injuries to return to game action, while other professional leagues, such as the NFL and NBA are starting to follow suite.  These days it requires athletes to pass specialized tests approved by team doctors before these players are eligible to play again. 

As mind boggling as it may seem today given the information we now have on the subject of concussions, it wasn't long ago that the injury was treated with far less concern.  Sports Center highlights praised hard hits that often would result in violent shots to the head.  Commentators would joke about how a guy "got his bell rung" during a play, as if the player could just shake it off and go back out there.  Back then, players often did go back out to play, not realizing the potential risks of playing with a head injury. 

When Seau first entered the league in 1990, it was during a turning point in the league where these types of injuries were at their worst.  Players were becoming bigger, faster and stronger than ever before, but the rules and equipment hadn't caught up yet.  Only recently has the league made more of an effort to upgrade the effectiveness of the helmets that protect their players by exploring new ways to design helmets to cushion the blow of hits to the head and help prevent damage.  Rule changes in recent years have also been made to limit the players exposure to head injuries, such as the new kick-off rules and the penalties enforced for hitting a defenseless receiver or for helmet to helmet hits.  Certain players, or even fans, may groan over these types of penalties, or the fines that often accompany them, but they are put in place in the best interest of the players.  Perhaps they'll thank commissioner Goodell someday. 

Football is a contact sports, so there is no way of getting around hard hits and injuries.  However, there are things the league can do to adjust to the power and speed of today's players without taking away from the excitement of the game.  Protecting players has started to become a priority for the league and rightfully so.  This is why what happened with the Saints bounty scandal was so despicable.  At a time when the league is trying to focus on player safety, one of it's premier teams was caught encouraging and even rewarding players for inflicting devastating injuries on opponents.  Coaching your players to tackle hard is one thing, but encouraging them to go after the head of a player with a history of concussions or targeting a runner's ACL is disgraceful.  There should be no room for that kind of dirty play in the game.

There are countless stories from former players that now suffer after their playing days are long gone.  Former players that have trouble just getting out of bed in the morning due to the toll their bodies had taken during their careers.  These men will live in pain for the rest of their lives.  In some more serious cases, that toll has been taken on the brains of these former players.  Former Cowboys star Tory Aikmen retired early after having been told by doctors that another concussion could turn him into a vegetable. 

In some cases, the result of these injuries can be far worse, leading to depression and suicide.  This appears to have been the case with Duerson and may have been the case with Seau.  In 2007, former WWE wrestler Chris Benoit committed a horrifying murder-suicide by not only taking his own life, but the lives of his wife and son.  Years of pain killers, steroids and repeated shots to the head that were all a part of his life as a pro wrestler are likely to blame for causing him to snap.

While Seau never official appeared on an NFL injury report with a concussion, his ex-wife is on record saying that he suffered several concussions during his career, yet played through the injury because he was a "warrior."  While it's yet to be proven that Seau's suicide had anything to do with his head injuries, there seems to be a clear path between head trauma and depression.  Earlier signs shown in Seau's post-career days may have foreshadowed this tragic event.  Last year Seau was involved in a domestic dispute with his girlfriend, who accused him of assaulting her after a heated argument between the couple.  Later that day, Seau was injured in a crash, when his car drove off a cliff.  Drugs and alcohol are not believed to have been at fault for the crash and Seau had claimed he fell asleep at the wheel.  Whether or not the crash was a sign of an earlier suicide attempt, it's clear that not all was well with Seau.

The death of Junior Seau is an unfortunate tragedy, but what is even more unfortunate is that it wasn't the first of it's kind and may not be the last.  Generations of football players were subjected to the same types of hits while the NFL was slow to adapt to the changing environment of the game in terms of player safety.  What's worse is that if the NFL isn't setting the example then what impact will that have on the millions of kids that play football at the college, high school or Pop Warner levels?  The NFL has done a good job lately in beginning to make changes in the name of player safety, but they can't stop now.  Mandating safer models of equipment, especially helmets, would be another big step.  If the NFL does it, the lower levels are sure to follow.  They set the example for the rest of the sport.  It's not just about protecting the players and the league, it's about protecting children and college kids, many of whom will never make a dime playing at the NFL level. 

If injuries continue to lead to former players suffering during the later stages of their lives, or a rise in those lives being cut short, then it could eventually lead to young athletes passing on football in favor of other sports.  If the NFL doesn't do more to prevent this then we may be looking at a dying league.  No sport is more popular than football, but the game can't thrive unless the best athletes are willing to play.

Seau's death is a horrible tragedy.  We can only hope that the silver lining is that it opens the eyes of NFL officials and gets the league to continue improving player safety while keeping a mindful eye on the game's impact on the long term well being of it's players.