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Can We Tackle the Concussion Battle?

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Can We Tackle the Concussion Battle? Can We Tackle the Concussion Battle Within Football? Introduction The National Football League (NFL) or as some people may say, “Not for long” is responsible for some of the greatest athletes. Excellence appears to be their one goal, which is to win Super Bowl championships. Some players perform at a high level for a while, whereas others don’t have a chance at experiencing actual playing time on the field at all. NFL players are less and less likely to have a definitive long-term career in the NFL. On average their career may span for about 3 ½ years (Stradley, 2011). (Workman Pub Co, 2002) The NFL has added several new teams, provided innovative equipment, additional rules, distinctive …show more content…

In which a case like this happens, you’ll most likely see the tackler injured or the opposing player being tackled hurt. The most penalized players don’t truly understand the proper ways of tackling and more often then not these are athletes who lead with the crown of their helmet. Tackling in this instance is referred to as spearing. Spearing, for example is essentially using the helmet as a weapon against a player (at2727, 2010). As a football player, you are taught how to tackle at a pretty young age (pop warner football); you must always keep your head up and lead with your facemask. You are also told to run through the ball carrier, wrapping your arms around his waist. To finish the tackle, you must drive him to the ground. Not keeping your head up, is one of the most prevalent mistakes you can do while tackling in football (Lewis). Time and time again, this is one of the major causes of spine, neck and concussion injuries in football. A good-yet–effective tackle will take down the ball carrier, but take them down without any injuries. In my opinion, if football players within all levels of the sport were more aware of how to properly tackle, there would be a much larger reduction in concussion rates found each year. There are other variables to this statement and in the next portion I will debate on how safe the

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