Emmitt Smith Comments on CTE's Role in Decision to Play Football

Emmitt Smith played 15 years in the NFL, set the record for most career rushing yards and won three Super Bowls. He has no regrets about any of it, even as the knowledge and understanding of head injuries associated with the sport becomes more prevalent. 

Per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Smith said he "would play football all over again despite the CTE concerns" and is "not stopping" his 14-year-old son from playing the game.  

Even though the NFL remains insanely popular in this country, there has been some reluctance from former players when it comes to letting their children take part in the game. 

Smith's former Dallas Cowboys teammate, quarterback Troy Aikman, told Bryant Gumbel during an episode of Real Sports on HBO in 2011 that if he had a son, he would not be so quick to encourage him to play football:

Former Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley, who suffered a spinal cord injury in 2013 that forced him to retire two years later without ever playing another down, said during a TV interview (via Joe DeLessio of New York Magazine) he's "not going to let my kids play just cause of the things I've been through..."

Certainly, Smith is not alone in having no regrets about playing the game. Tim Shaw, who played six seasons in the NFL before being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), at the age of 31, told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press he didn't blame his disease on playing football: “No regrets about how I played or anything like that. The game has given me so much. It’s given me so much opportunity, so much experience. Relationships. It’s taught me a million lessons. It’s really helped make me who I am.”

There is a stigma around the sport of football because of what everyone has learned about head injuries. It's uncomfortable to see a collision in which two players smash their helmets into each other, or a player leads with their shoulder and inadvertently makes contact with a players head. 

Smith got a lot from the game during his life, including being elected to the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame. He's passionate about the sport and will continue to champion it to his son, which is certainly nothing to scoff at. 

Developing a better understanding about the nature of head injuries in football is something everyone is still doing. It will take more time to get there, but as long as research continues, finding ways to make the game safer at all levels will be much easier.