Did Football Kill Former Eagles DB Andre Waters?

[SmootSmack]

This news sort of went under the radar today but it's a pretty big statement to say concussions on the football field ultimately led to Waters' death. This theory could really impact how teams treat players who suffer concussions on gameday.

NFL.com - NFL News

"Brain damage caused on the football field ultimately led to the suicide of former NFL defensive back Andre Waters, according to a forensic pathologist who studied Waters' brain tissue"

[MTK]

I saw a piece they had on ESPN tonight about that. Pretty sad story about Waters. Makes sense that too many shots to the head could mess you up.

[Big C]

im not suprised that concussions ultimately lead to his death, im suprised by the analogy they gave. they said his brain was like an 85 year old man's who had early sympoms of alzheimer's...thats crazy

[That Guy]

Originally Posted by Big C

im not suprised that concussions ultimately lead to his death, im suprised by the analogy they gave. they said his brain was like an 85 year old man's who had early sympoms of alzheimer's...thats crazy

it happens to boxers all the time though.

[BDBohnzie]

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.

[gabe1984]

John Thompson and Doc Walker were talking about that last night on Sports Talk 980. Walker said that back in the day, players would get concussions and then continue to play, or they'd return earlier than they were supposed to. Because apparently back then, if you didn't play, then your spot was just given to somebody else, so people would play hurt and with concussions because they didn't want to lose their jobs; that doesn't really happen as much these days. I think it's pretty ridiculous how tough some of those guys were, I can't imagaine playing with a concussion, but at the same time, it is pretty stupid to play like that.

[firstdown]

I think todays NFL pays allot more attention to head injuries than they did in the past and with findings like these it gives them even more reasons to protect the players. I do give the NFL and teams credit for how they treat these concusions now verse back in the days when they did not know how they could effect a player. VT players played a few games in the past with these sensors in their helments to see how big of an impact that they really where taking. The findings (if I'm correct) showed that there was less impact than at first thought and they gave the credit to new tech. in equipment. Maybe others remember moere about the test they ran.

[squrrelco3]

Originally Posted by That Guy

it happens to boxers all the time though.

I think the biggest example of that would be Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe those two poor meatballs are really showing the effects.

[Monkeydad]

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?

[squrrelco3]

Originally Posted by Buster

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?

Maybe it's like smoking...some people can smoke two packs a day and live to 110...others get lung cancer at 40 from that one second hand drag they got at a party when they were 19.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by Buster

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?

[Longtimefan]

Originally Posted by BDBohnzie

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.

[sportscurmudgeon]

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...

[jamf]

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

[MTK]

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.