All this talk about football concussions causing everything from insomnia to dementia to suicide only started within the last decade but we've been playing football for over a century.
Coincidence?


The kid in question played in ONE FOOTBALL GAME.
One.
In wrestling they have a big cushioned mat. And they don't get a running start.

Now I'll admit that wrestling was THE toughest, most physically demanding sport i ever participated in, but a concussion from wrestling? Not if you have a clue.

I only wrestled one season and never got dropped on my head or had my head hit the mat hard enough to ring my bell. Never happened.
My oldest brother was Utah state wrestling champion in his weight class when he was a FRESHMAN and never got a concussion from it.

But he got several concussions as a QB in football. We all did.
We all started playing organized tackle football at age 7 and almost everyone I grew up with played football at least up through the high school level, many through college. I do not know a single one that had any long-term effects from playing football knoggin-wise.

This kid couldn't stand the pressure, he coundn't stand the publicity and hype, so he snapped.
Yes it sux and yes it's a shame and a tragedy. But don't blame organized sports for it.

It's very sad but does happen. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in college students (car accidents #1). No, they don't all play football or wrestle. This may just be one of many, being blown out of proportion because he was a roster member of a major football team.

I'm guessing he had other problems.

Today's athletes are bigger and faster by more than a little. These athletes also practiced longer and harder than ever before. Beyond the numbers and physics of the resulting collisions are autopsy results. If there is evidence indicating that the cerebral autopsy results of suicide or demented footballers is comparable to the general population, lots of folks would be interested in reading it.

Sammy, Sammy, Sammy...

Some would say you are exhibit A.