The NFL: From Tough To Thug

"This f--kin' game is over!"—Eagles linebacker Chuck Bednarik to Giants running back Frank Gifford.

When Bednarik, also known as Concrete Charlie, made this famous hit on Gifford and exclaimed those now infamous words, he unknowingly defined a generation.

When the papers read "Plaxico Burress to Face Gun Charge," Burress unknowingly defined another.

Years ago, when somebody said "football" or "NFL," the first images to come to mind was the above photo of Bednarik, the smile of Jack Lambert, Tom Landry's icy stare, Buddy Ryan's Gang Green defense, Mike Ditka in open space, or the bone crushing hits of Dick Butkus, Ronnie Lott, or Mike Singletary.

Now when "NFL" is mentioned, people think about the selfishness of Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson, or any other wide receiver.

They think of Pacman Jones and all the trouble he has caused himself and others.

Or maybe they think about that new jersey that just came out of that over-priced rookie who will be lucky to play three years in the NFL.

A stark difference from the early years of professional football.

In generations past, the NFL was a modest living. Football players, or most of them rather, were not even among the top-tier. They made decent money, and they made it by playing what some called a child's game.

In the 1970's, the average salary of an NFL player was around $30,000. Depending on your lifestyle and living situation, this may or may not have been enough to support your family. Many of the lower-tier players were forced to have second jobs throughout the summer in order to maintain a decent lifestyle.

Today, the average salary is just under $1 million.

Football used to be a game that was played simply because you loved to play.

Being an NFL player meant long work days, Sundays away from your family (right along with the rest of the week most of the time) and very little compensation for it.

Today, players make their money and run.

Or stick around because they have the talent and can make an easy living.

Very few players are playing simply because they couldn't see themselves doing anything else.

For example, Napolean Kauffman was a running back for the Oakland Raiders in the early to mid '90s. He was a rising star for Oakland, a guy that could be consistently counted on to have good games and good years, which went a long way to help the Raiders win games.

Then, in 1997, at age 27, Kauffman retired.

No reason was given other than that he just did not want to play football any longer.

He is the epitome of a guy who had the talent to play, but obviously did not have a love for the game.

On the flip side, take a guy like J.R. Reed.

Reed was originally a fourth-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004. He played well as a rookie, leading the league in yards per kick return for the season.

Then, he suffered a nerve injury to his knee while attempting to jump a fence on his property. The nerve was severed and he was told he would never be able run again, much less play football.

But after intense rehab and a device put in his leg that would do the job of the severed nerve (lifting the front of the foot into the air in order to run), he made his return to the NFL.

And after being cut by the Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants, Reed made his way back on the Eagles' roster.

Obviously, a man who just wanted nothing more than to play football. He's one of a small handful of players who carry this passion in today's NFL.

I'm not accusing Kauffman of being a bad guy, he just simply did not have the same passion for the game that other players did.

A guy like Robert Smith of the Minnesota Vikings could be put in that same boat. Neither of them were bad guys. Neither of them brought a negative light to the NFL, which is more than what can be said for certain players today.

Players like Pacman Jones, Plaxico Burress, Chris Henry, Terrell Owens, and Chad Johnson just to name a few. These are all players who have brought negative attention towards the NFL and have created a bad reputation of the league.

Johnson and Owens have done all of their damage on the field.

They have damaged the league by creating a stereotype that skill players are nothing more than greedy, self-absorbed, spoiled children. And to a certain degree, that may be correct with current players today.

But not to the extent that these two, in particular, have taken it.

Yes, they are both outstanding talents. Yes, they can both be good for a team. But the same question is always asked with these two—Are they worth it?

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