Did Football Kill Former Eagles DB Andre Waters?

Really, I didn't believe it. Later, we saw Mohammed Ali on TV and my wife commented on why she wonders why boxers would want to do that to themselves. I said, it doesn't happen to all of them, look at George Foreman...he's fine and he fought Ali a few times.

It's not a widespread problem with older football players. I think Waters' problems were more genetic and by chance than as a result of football. He's always had psychological issues and has been a hothead...so I don't think you can blame the sport.

Now with Aikman...yeah, he'll be messed up, but that's because he played longer than he should've with his injuries.

Did he lead with his head a lot on hits, moreso than other players?

There will always be exceptions. But just because Foreman isn't a walking crash test dummie doesn't mean that all those blows to the head haven't taken their toll to some degree. Do you have any medical background to back up your claims on the study of Waters brain?

Yeah, I was astonished by the news. That's a lot of damage to the noggin'. You have to start wondering if guys like Aikman, Lindros, Chrebet will have problems later in life attributed to concussion related injuries.



You could probably include Steve Young in that group as well. He sustained more concussions than any player in modern day football, and continued to play despite doctors advice to the contrary. I hope he dosen't fall victum to some simular situation in the future.

A former colleague of mine - a well regarded physicist who worked for NASA for a while and then became a professor at a major US university - has what is diagnosed as early onset Alzheimers and it is the rapidly developing variety of that disease. The current thinking is that it was brought on by a severe head injury he incurred skiing about 5 years ago.

Because no one actually knows how Alsheimers gets started, this is still conjecture, but there is a segment of the medical community - not the fringies out there screching about theoritical nonsense - that believes that blows to the brain can sometimes trigger the onset of Alzheimers. There are brain studies ongoing to try to demonstrate the mechanisms by which this might happen.

My former colleague has been given another 12-18 months to live. He just had his 52nd birthday last month...

Sometimes these types of reports are misleading.
I'm sure in some way concussions did have an effect on his brain, but he likely would've had alzheimers if he had never played football.

Keep in mind, it's finacially beneficial for this doctor to blame concussions for his death. the NFL is going to send him MILLIONS for research.

And no I do not have a medical background, But I did stay at the Holiday Inn Capital while visiting DC ;)

Alzheimers is such a mysterious disease I don't think anyone can say whether Waters would have developed it or not had he not been a football player.

Really, I didn't believe it. Later, we saw Mohammed Ali on TV and my wife commented on why she wonders why boxers would want to do that to themselves. I said, it doesn't happen to all of them, look at George Foreman...he's fine and he fought Ali a few times.

It's not a widespread problem with older football players. I think Waters' problems were more genetic and by chance than as a result of football. He's always had psychological issues and has been a hothead...so I don't think you can blame the sport.

Now with Aikman...yeah, he'll be messed up, but that's because he played longer than he should've with his injuries.

Did he lead with his head a lot on hits, moreso than other players?

I think that the shots that Waters took in football was definitely a contributor to his death

Foreman did not get hit as much as Ali and often times it just takes the RIGHT shot not the quantities of shots to the brain.

Really, I didn't believe it. Later, we saw Mohammed Ali on TV and my wife commented on why she wonders why boxers would want to do that to themselves. I said, it doesn't happen to all of them, look at George Foreman...he's fine and he fought Ali a few times.

It's not a widespread problem with older football players. I think Waters' problems were more genetic and by chance than as a result of football. He's always had psychological issues and has been a hothead...so I don't think you can blame the sport.

Now with Aikman...yeah, he'll be messed up, but that's because he played longer than he should've with his injuries.

Did he lead with his head a lot on hits, moreso than other players?

Didn't George Foreman name every one of his sons "George?" He also says "sammich" a lot...so maybe all those punches had more of an effect than people think.

Didn't George Foreman name every one of his sons "George?" He also says "sammich" a lot...so maybe all those punches had more of an effect than people think.

You may be able to thank God that your diction is better than Georges' but I am sure that he has MILLIONS of reasons to be thankful himself.

Did he lead with his head a lot on hits, moreso than other players?
not to pile on, but Andre waters was easily THE dirtiest player the NFL has seen in a long time. would ALWAYS lead with his helmet, no matter what. but todays players, seems like are getting farther and farther from this technique. probably better coaching, starting at pee wee.

Very very sad. Thoughts and prayers to the family...


I think it goes without saying that we need to watch our heads.

The Human Brain - Watch Your Head (http://www.fi.edu/brain/head.htm)