Schaefer 1

John Schaefer

College Composition 2

Proposal Essay

4 April 2019

Football Safety Proposal

Injuries in the National Football League such as concussions and CTE have sparked a

major controversy of whether or not the sport should be eliminated. Players seem to be risking

their futures tremendously while playing the game. This makes it look like the NFL staff seems

to be unethical by letting these players risk their bodies for fans entertainment. Isn’t there a way

to give both the fans what they want but keep the players safe?

Football is a violent sport and there is no way around that. Players around the NFL seem

to be getting hurt very often and suffering possible injuries that can stick with them for the rest of

their lives. CTE is a very serious injury which has been found in many former NFL players. CTE

is “Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which is the degenerative brain disease which evidence

indicates is caused by brain trauma. The effects of CTE include memory loss, confusion,

impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, anxiety, suicidality,

parkinsonism, and, eventually, progressive dementia” (BU CTE Research Center). All of this

data was found at the Boston University CTE Research Center where they have found symptoms

in former NFL players. This injury has been found to be caused due to constant head to head

collisions with other players. CTE has led to over 100 deaths of former NFL and college players

such as Terry Long, John Grimsley, and Andre Waters. Concussions are another serious injury
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that occurs way to often every year in the NFL. “A concussion is a change in mental state due to

a traumatic impact and not all those who suffer a concussion will lose consciousness”

(Levine/Owens, 1). Levine and Owens have are two doctors who have been studying

concussions and head injuries in college and NFL players. Since players don’t always lose

consciousness, players can sometimes be playing with a concussion which is not safe at all. Back

in the 2017 season against the Bengals, Steelers player Ryan Shazier took a hit in which he was

nearly paralyzed from the waist down. Shazier was a pro bowler caliber player and one bad hit in

the sport he loves changed his life forever. All players are at high risk every time they step onto

the field but how can the NFL lower the risk of these major injuries?

A proposed solution could be to implement more rules that can help protect players. For

example, kickoffs were a big controversy a couple of years ago because players were getting

concussions on kickoffs that weren't even returned. So what the NFL decided to do was make a

rule that didn’t allow players to get a running starts and build up speed as fast. They also

changed the touchback from the 20 yard line to the 25 yard line to make the returner think more

about bringing the ball out of the endzone. This rule helped tremendously because returners

usually don’t return the ball passed the 25 yard line on average so it is usually a touchback

instead of a returned ball in today’s NFL.

One proposed rule that can be looked at is no helmet contact at all. Players are not

allowed to lead with the helmet but tackling sometimes leads to tackling with your helmet and

even colliding head to head. If players were to get a flag or a fine for tackling and hitting the

helmet, it would decrease the amount of helmet shots tremendously every game. Another
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proposed solution is to switch every field to artificial grass or turf. Turf has more of a cushion

like feel when players hit the ground. It has small rubber pellets that soften the impact of players

falling to the ground. Some NFL stadiums use real grass fields which could also lead to the

issues of head injuries. How so? Well, grass and dirt have little to no give when players make

contact with the ground. So when players make contact the blow to the helmet is stronger and

can lead to players getting concussed. For example, Lambeau Field in Green Bay Wisconsin still

has a grass field. During the fall and winter months, this field can get close to 0 degrees

fahrenheit. So when players hit the field, it is like falling on concrete. The field has no give when

connecting with the ground which can seriously injure players. Also, grass fields have less

friction than turf fields which means players can slip and slide more easily which can cause other

injuries. These two proposed rule or field changes can lead to a much safer game while still

keeping it the game fans across the globe grew up to love.

Will these proposed changes really work? As explained before, the grass fields that are

still used today can get close to 0 degrees fahrenheit depending on where they are in the country.

This just isn’t safe due to the fact that it is like playing on concrete. When the helmet strikes the

ground, the grass doesn’t absorb any impact but returns it to the players head and neck. This

leads to unnecessary head injuries which put players on the sidelines or even the hospital. This is

also effective in a way in which all players will be getting the same playing field so there won’t

be any advantages or disadvantages. For example, if it rains on a grass field, it becomes muddy

and the players start to slip which makes it harder to play on. If every stadium transitions to turf

fields, this problem is resolved. So not only will it reduce injuries but it will also give all players

a fair playing field which makes the game more even. Players colliding with full speed at one
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another to the head area is also a serious concern. Giving a player a flag on a play sometimes

isn't good enough. Emotions run wild while on the field and a measly 15 yard penalty means

nothing sometimes. Everybody loves money and everybody hates losing money. Fining players

on hits to the head can lead to a decrease in head injuries because players are now losing money

that they can use towards family, friends, and personal wants and needs. Players won’t want to

lose money on an unnecessary hit to another player in a game so it could significantly lower the

rate of head to head hits. Not only will it lead to less head to head hits but it will keep the players

healthier and keep the best players a team has on the field. For example, every year a few teams

lose their best player and leads to a short season. By lowering injuries, we can keep these players

on the field to see the best players in action and it gives the NFL better overall ratings throughout

the season. It's a win for the fans, the NFL, and most importantly the players.

These couple of proposed solutions could seem to be very minor changes but they can

affect the NFL positively. Losing money is not good for anyone and losing it due to a selfish act

on the field will not be worth it to players. They will think twice about how they go about

tackling and overall making the game safer. The turf fields used today in the NFL are very

popular. They are easy to maintain, have a softer cushion, and can be used inside and outside.

Every stadium should use turf because of impact and gives the players a longer durability.

Overall these two solutions could seriously benefit the game of football and the NFL should

consider them.
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Works Cited

● “Frequently Asked Questions about CTE.” Frequently Asked Questions about CTE | CTE

Center, www.bu.edu/cte/about/frequently-asked-questions/.

● Advanced Solutions International, Inc. “Preventing Football Injuries.” Football Injuries |

Football Injury Prevention & Treatment,

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www.stopsportsinjuries.org/STOP/Prevent_Injuries/Football_Skating_Injury_Prevention.

aspx.

● “CTE in Former College Football Players.” Concussion Legacy Foundation, 11 Jan.

2019, concussionfoundation.org/CTE-resources/cte-college-football.