(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
The NFL has always been known for the violent hits, and in certain cases devastating injuries. In most cases, when a big hit happens, the player that gets hit usually is able to get up, some get up slower, some need assistance from teammates, and others may need a stretcher to be taken to an ambulance.
So, would it be safe to say that the NFL would treat their former players well? Certainly it would make sense, because the NFL is one of the better-earning major professional sports—but it couldn't be further from the truth.
I stumbled on an article titled "Casualties of the NFL" by Paul Solotaroff, who writes for Men's Journal and was in the book I recently purchased titled The Best American Sports Writing 2008.
It begins by using the example of Brian DeMarco, who's 6'7" and 323 pounds, according to the article as well as pro-football-reference.com. DeMarco played the first four years of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars and his last year in the league with the Cincinnati Bengals, which was in 1999.
DeMarco was a pulling guard for the Bengals, and he not only could run well, but he was very strong, bench pressing 500 pounds.
On the fateful day that ended the career of DeMarco, he was the lead blocker for Corey Dillon. He was set to deliver a hit on the incoming linebacker, but Dillon tripped and fell in the back of DeMarco's legs, pinning his knees to the turf.
He started falling forward when the linebacker he was going after lowered his helmet and drove right through him. Thus, his chest was still going downfield and his hips were going upfield, practically knocking him in two pieces.
DeMarco says in the article, "I heard the pop in my back as I was going down and just felt this pain like I never felt before. I'm at the bottom of the pile under a thousand pound of guys and I'm thinking, 'I'm never getting up. I'll never walk again.'"
The Bengals trainers got him to the sideline after the incident and got him on a bench where the trainers tested his legs. He wasn't paralyzed, but was not able to sit up.
What happened next is the doctor took out a four-inch needle, hiked up his uniform and injected DeMarco with lidocaine. After that, DeMarco got up because the lidocaine numbed the area, and went back into the game.
Yet, re-entering the game meant that he was coming in with bits of his spine that had been broken on the play.
That was eight years ago, and now DeMarco is living in Austin, TX. He is now dirt-poor and can never find a comfortable position to sit or lay down because it causes him agonizing pain.
Jennifer Smith was invited by DeMarco's wife, Autumn. She looks around and can barely believe her eyes. She says "there was no food in the house, and I mean none—not a box of mac and cheese or a can of tuna. Brian and Autumn hadn't eaten in a couple of days and between them had seventy-five cents. Total."
Gridiron Greats is an organization that has developed recently. It was created to help care for ex-football players whose injuries have left them in despair, and in this case she flew in on short notice to attend to DeMarco.
She has the ability to give DeMarco $2,500 to replenish the food supply and when the bank opened (she came in on a weekend), she was able to give thousands more.
DeMarco isn't the only player that the NFL has turned their back on. Terry Long and Andre Waters committed suicide, one at 44 years of age and the other at the age of 45. Justin Strzelczyk died in a car crash at 36 years of age, and Mike Webster had a heart attack at 50.
When the brains of these former players were scanned, it showed staggering amounts of brain damage.
The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) takes in over $7 billion. Yet fewer than three percent of the men who played in the league receive disability benefits even though there are over $1 billion in assets.
Earl Campbell is only 52 but has to rely on a walker to get around. Al Toon ended his career after suffering his ninth concussion, and Wayne Chrebet retired in 2005 with concussion issues. Chrebet is still debilitated by the headaches caused from the concussions in his playing days.
Jim Ringo, Mick Tinglehof, and Webster suffered from severe dementia as young men.
The difference in today's game is huge. Around 20 years ago the average weight of an offensive linemen was 280 pounds and they could play into their 30s. Today the average linemen is 320 plus pounds and averages only three and a half seasons.
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