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Head case
by steven m. thomasPublished: November 01, 2011
“Throwaway Players: The Concussion Crisis,” published by Behler Publications in Orange County and written by Gay Culverhouse, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers president, chronicles the gruesome toll taken on players by head injuries in one of America’s most popular and violent sports.
For decades, tackle football players of all levels have been told to “shake it off” and get back in the game after taking hits that left them unconscious or dazed. Culverhouse cites numerous examples from her time in the NFL of players entering huddles asking their teammates, “Where am I? What are we doing here?” Players were routinely led back to their own side of the field because they didn’t know which way to go.
Repeatedly returning to the field with undiagnosed concussions results in risk for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative disease that destroys cognitive ability, memory and personality.
Erratic behavior, financial disaster, homelessness and suicide plague many veterans of a sport from which nearly 50 percent of the players are forced from the field by injuries. Culverhouse paints a disturbing picture of the dark shadows cast by gridiron glory.
‘Throwaway Players’
By: Gay Culverhouse
Behler, 2011, $15.95
≈ OTHER RECOMMENDED READS ≈
‘Kids, Sports, and Concussion: A Guide for Coaches and Parents’
By William P. Meehan M.D.; Praeger, 2011, $34.95
Harvard Medical School instructor and sports concussion expert explains the symptoms and effects of the injuries on immature brains.
‘Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen’
By Christopher McDougall; Vintage, 2011, $15.95
An adventure tale based on the author’s experience among the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico.
‘Running with the Buffaloes’
By Chris Lear; Lyon’s Press, 2011, $14.95
This reprint of a sports classic takes readers inside the University of Colorado’s cross-country team, highlighting the training regimen of the top-ranked program.
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For decades, tackle football players of all levels have been told to “shake it off” and get back in the game after taking hits that left them unconscious or dazed. Culverhouse cites numerous examples from her time in the NFL of players entering huddles asking their teammates, “Where am I? What are we doing here?” Players were routinely led back to their own side of the field because they didn’t know which way to go. Repeatedly returning to the field with undiagnosed concussions results in risk for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative disease that destroys cognitive ability, memory and personality. Erratic behavior, financial disaster, homelessness and suicide plague many veterans of a sport from which nearly 50 percent of the players are forced from the field by injuries. Culverhouse paints a disturbing picture of the dark shadows cast by gridiron glory. ‘Throwaway Players’ By: Gay Culverhouse Behler, 2011, $15.95 ≈ OTHER RECOMMENDED READS ≈ ‘Kids, Sports, and Concussion: A Guide for Coaches and Parents’ By William P. Meehan M.D.; Praeger, 2011, $34.95 Harvard Medical School instructor and sports concussion expert explains the symptoms and effects of the injuries on immature brains. ‘Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen’ By Christopher McDougall; Vintage, 2011, $15.95 An adventure tale based on the author’s experience among the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico. ‘Running with the Buffaloes’ By Chris Lear; Lyon’s Press, 2011, $14.95 This reprint of a sports classic takes readers inside the University of Colorado’s cross-country team, highlighting the training regimen of the top-ranked program. |
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