NFL Players Can't Have It Both Ways Regarding Concussions

Concussions. The word alone can cause a stir, especially when attached to the NFL. It has not just become an important issue in the NFL, but a polarizing one as well. Some of the most marquee players, otherwise still fit to play, have been forced out of the league because of head injuries.

There was a published report of 1,094 former players, ages 27 to 86, that revealed that more than 61% of those surveyed had concussions during their playing days, and most of them said they were not sidelined after their injuries.

That report was published in 2001. That's 11 years ago, and it was based on data collected over 15 years ago in 1995-96 by the NFL Players Association. Has the NFL truly done anything to clean this up? Not according to former NFL center Dermontti Dawson.

Recently the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Dawson, a former member of the Pittsburgh Steelers who is to be inducted into the 2012 Hall of Fame, is of the latest of former NFL players to file suit against the NFL for head injuries sustained while playing professional football.

According to a suit filed July 3rd in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Dawson and three other former Steelers, are among 47 former players being represented by attorneys John D. Giddens and Phillip Thomas in Jackson, Mississippi.

In the suit it is alleged that the league "was aware of the evidence and the risks associated with repetitive traumatic brain injuries and concussions for decades, but deliberately ignored and actively concealed the information from the Plaintiffs and all others who participated in organized football at all levels."

It also claimed that the repeated injuries can lead to "Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy", or CTE.

As would be expected, the NFLPA sides with the players in this. DeMaurice Smith, head of the NFLPA, has been dealing with such issues this offseason. In an interview last June with Michel Martin of NPR News' "Tell Me More", Smith answered questions regarding the New Orleans Saints Bounty scandal, lawsuits and player safety.

Staying specifically on the topic of concussions and player safety, there were two things that Smith said that was of particular interest. Though being in the somewhat precarious position of defending player vs. player, he addressed openly his view of the safety of the game.

Martin asked him, "Just on the question of whether you feel that the game is being made safer...do you think you and the league are on the same page that you're moving in the right direction?"

Smith replied, "Yes, I do. We made an affirmative decision that the players weren't going to have two-a-day practices anymore, not because we wanted to have our players off, but because all of the medical data shows that if you want to make a significant change in the management of potential concussions, what you do is you decrease the exposure to head-to-head or head-to-ground contact."

That's all well and good. Protecting your investment, as it were, is only smart. It's well known that boxers get "punch drunk" from not so much the hits in the actual prize fights, but from the hundreds and maybe thousands of sparring rounds during years of training. Reducing the number of such hits is only one part of it, though.

Amongst other things, as this blog has touched on before, the rabbit hole goes much deeper. It's an aggregate of game hits, practice hits, turf as opposed to grass, helmets, the team doctor/trainer and, maybe most importantly, the player himself.

Speaking on those last two points, Smith said that "there shouldn't be a football exception with respect to how a doctor treats a player. He should treat a player as a patient. We should remove anything like a football exception where bad conduct is justified, glorified, or accepted. We should do a better job of researching and providing our resources towards trying to make the game safer."

Tell that to Colt McCoy of the Cleveland Browns. What Smith said next, though, is what causes this article to be written.

"I'm not willing to say that it is a sport that cannot be made safe. What I am, and fervently believe - over the last four years have we done things in football to make the game safer for our players? Yes. But that has only come by the dedicated effort of the players themselves to change the culture and the paradigm of football."

Ah, there's the rub.

On Wednesday, Steelers safety Troy Polamalu was on the Dan Patrick Show and made some very candid comments about whether or not he's had concussions.

“Yes, I have, for sure,” Polamalu said.

Polamalu evidently, though, sees a distinction between having one's "bell rung" by a hit to the head and blatantly lying about a significant injury.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve had any major lies,” Polamalu said. “Somebody may say, ‘Is your knee messed up?’ It may be kind of messed up but you just kind of push yourself to be out there with your brothers. I wouldn’t say there are any major lies where I totally lied may way out of concussions. In fact, during concussions, if it’s serious enough you can’t even be conscious enough to lie.”

“I’ve had, I believe, eight or nine recorded concussions. We’ll have another conversation after I’m done playing football,” Polamalu continued. “When you get your bell rung they consider that a concussion - I wouldn’t. If that is considered a concussion, I’d say any football player at least records 50 to 100 concussions a year.”

He then said, "There’s so much built up about team camaraderie and sacrifice, and football is such a tough man’s game. I think that’s why it’s so popular, why so many blue-collar communities and people feel really attracted to it, because it’s sort of a blue-collar struggle that football players go through in terms of the physicality of the game and the commitment you need. It’s that commitment you need to play football. You feel sore, you’re beat up, you’re injured, you’re legitimately injured, most people may take three months off to work in an office, we choose to play the next week.”

As always, I appreciate his candor. Polamalu is a true warrior and only speaks from that standpoint. He's a throwback. He's the type you want in battle with you. He is a bruiser and has uncanny instincts in the secondary. He's going to hit you no matter what the consequences are. He simply plays the game the way it should be played: physically.

That having been said, his comments go against what DeMaurice Smith said regarding a "dedicated effort of the players themselves to change the culture and the paradigm of football." What Polamalu said isn't a player changing a culture or paradigm.

The same can even be said of Dawson. Not that he blatantly made any such definitive comment, but Dawson just crushed people. Regularly. He may have been the best pulling center ever and he was a tenacious blocker at the second and third levels. He mauled defenders and was a major reason Jerome Bettis was able to rack up all the yards he did.

So, with all that's been said, I don't know how much room many players have to cry foul against the NFL. If they didn't know what they were getting into before stepping onto the field, they damn sure knew with that first hit.

Players have talked openly in the past about not feeling completely better until the time the next week's game comes around, and not completely healed from the previous season until it's time for next season's training camp.

The NFL has been described, specifically the offensive/defensive line play, as being in a car wreck 60 times a day. Now, multiply that by 16 or more games a year and then by 10 or more years. I'm no math major, but it's more than my toes and fingers so I know it's a lot. And these players want to claim ignorance and, in essence, sue McDonalds because they placed a hot cup of coffee between their legs while they drove and didn't think they'd get burned?

Make no mistake, the NFL is certainly guilty of marketing these "car wrecks" in the various videos that they sell to make millions of dollars. They certainly exploit the players to a degree as well. Are the players not aware of this, though?

If the players go into this knowing they're using their bodies in this manner to make money, do they really have the right to then turn around and blame the NFL? The next time you see a pimp and his ho, ask them.

DONNIE SHELL: THE TORPEDO (aka MR. INTERCEPTION)

Donnie Shell, aka the "Torpedo."

I've always loved Donnie Shell. When I was young, maybe around ten years old, and playing playground football with my cousins, I was always Donnie Shell, or "Mr. Interception" as I called him back then. I did my best to blanket my cousin like Shell did, even though I wasn't allowed to hit him like Shell did. Regardless, I obviously wasn't nearly as good. Didn't matter, he was my man. That's all that mattered.

As I grew and learned more and more about football, I was able to appreciate what a great all-around player he truly was. But one memory stands out above all others: It was a game late in the season in 1978 against the Houston Oilers.

The playoff implications were heavy and Shell was in his first full season as a starter. Houston had already beaten the Steelers on Monday Night Football earlier in the year in a brutally physical game (but weren't all Steelers/Oilers games brutal back then?), but Shell's hit surpassed anything seen in that previous meeting.

Earl Campbell busted through the line for good yardage, spun out of the tackle of another Steeler and BOOM! Shell came out of nowhere and planted his helmet (which would be illegal in today's NFL) firmly in Cambell's ribcage, lifting Cambell off of his feet and slamming him onto the turf. The Torpedo found his target (a hit that, if memory serves, played at the beginning of NFL Live well into the 80s). Campbell left the game with broken ribs and the Steelers went on to win 13-3.

Plain and simple, Donnie Shell was feared. A natural athlete, as he also ran track and played baseball in high school, Shell could fly around the field like Troy Polamalu, and could level hits like no one else. Shell was a special player: he was a ball-hawk, hit like a mack truck, was a great coverage guy and had great instincts to find the ball or the ball carrier.

Shell played strong safety with the Pittsburgh Steelers, winning four Super Bowls in the 1970s. He is considered as part of the famed 1974 Steelers draft though he was signed as an undrafted free agent that year. He's third in Steelers history in interceptions, was named to the Pro Bowl five times (1978-1982), was a three-time All-Pro and retired as the NFL’s career leader among strong safeties in interceptions with 51. An 11-year starter ('77-'87), he was named to the Steelers’ All-Time Team and to the NFL Silver Anniversary Super Bowl Team.

I must note something here: as I've started writing this Blog, I've had to do a lot of research in order to be precise in what I write. So trust me when I say that there are players in the Hall of Fame with fewer credentials. But I digress...

Shell's is almost a forgotten legacy. The early part of his career is overshadowed by teammates such as Mel Blount, the Jacks and Mean Joe Greene, and the latter part is shrouded in the mist that was the haze of the '80s. Because of this, many current NFL and Steelers fans only know no. 31 as Mike Logan, something that is saddening to a student of the game and a true fan. Shell doesn't let it get to him, though. Instead, he just points out that all his "records are in the books." Read more on this humble man in this reflective article: http://www.thestate.com/2008/09/07/516502/understated-shell-lets-the-record.html#ixzz1bNV0GCRQ

Donnie Shell is not in the Hall of Fame. In fact, he has only made it as a finalist a couple of times. Should he be considered more strongly as a candidate for the Hall of Fame? Is he caught in the wave of an anti-Steelers bias regarding the Hall of Fame? Pertaining to the '70s Steelers at least. Possibly. The prevailing current amongst Steelers fans is that the likes of he and L.C. "Hollywood Bags" Greenwood should be in the Hall of Fame. But the tenticles of this assumed bias seem to be reaching their way toward other players as well. Dermonti Dawson, for instance, arguably the best center of his era, has been amongst the nominees for a few years now, has yet to be enshrined. The Steelers as an organization may not have the most Hall of Famers, but they do have the most in the Hall from a particular timeframe. If such a bias really exists, Donnie Shell might be caught in the undertow of this tide.

Regardless of all of this, I simply remember the Torpedo. I remember him fondly. I remember the hits that left ball carriers bruised. I remember the interceptions that left quarterbacks wondering how they didn't see him. But most of all I remember "Mr. Interception", a fearless competitor whom a 10-year old boy always wanted to emulate. Even if I never was allowed to pretend my cousin was Earl Campbell.

JACK BUTLER SHOULD BE IN THE HALL OF FAME

When I first considered writing this article I was unsure how I'd approach it. I usually add humor and satire to my pieces to maintain the readers' interest, but also to hammer a point home. The person I speak of in this article deserves better than a joke for the sake of a joke, though. I also thought about dropping the cold, hard facts, but that could lose the interest of even the most avid Steelers fan.

The player I speak of in this article deserves better than to be reduced to mere facts. Therefore, the person and player I speak of is Jack Butler and he deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Now, as you read this you probably just asked yourself, "Whom?" Therein lies the problem. When Steelers fans complain about former players who belong in the Hall of Fame, the usual suspects are in the lineup: L.C. "Hollywood Bags" Greenwood, Donnie Shell, Dermonti Dawson, etc... To sing these players' praises is only right, it's just that not enough current fans know the words to Jack Butler's song to sing his praises in the first place. Now, while I'm not a great singer by any means, I'm going to add my voice to his book of hymns and hopefully attract to him the attention he deserves.

Jack Butler was a 6'1" and 200 lb. defensive back who also played some flanker. Butler was a four-time Pro Bowl, and more importantly a four-time All-Pro (three-time 1st Team selection and one-time 2nd Team selection), player for Pittsburgh from 1951-1959. He was one of the best defenders to play in Pittsburgh and was one of the last two-way players for the Steelers. His career was cut short in 1959 when his knee was so badly damaged in a game at Forbes Field that some wondered if he would live through it. But live through it he did and went on to try his hand at coaching and then ended up being a coach/scout for the Steelers in 1961. Within 2 years Butler would become the director of BLESTO, one of two NFL scouting combines, where he was basically responsible for every player in the NFL for 44 years (1963-2007). Though his being the face of the NFL Scouting Combine could get him elected to Canton as a Contributor, the focus of this article will be on his playing days and why he should eventually wear a gold jacket based on those merits.

As was mentioned, Butler was one of the best defenders to ever play in Pittsburgh. In 3 different seasons (1953, 1957 and 1958) he made at least 9 interceptions, including leading the League in 1957 with 10. Undrafted, Butler made the Steelers as a free agent and became one of the hardest-hitting cornerbacks in the league and one adept at finding the ball as well. His 52 career interceptions still rank 2nd all-time in the Steelers' record books, were good for no. 2 in the NFL all-time when he retired, and still rank as no. 25 in the NFL all-time. Those 52 interceptions also garnered 827 return yards, which still ranks no. 20 in the NFL all-time, and four touchdowns in a total of only 103 games - that's essentially an interception every other game. He also had 10 career fumble recoveries, returning one for a touchdown. Impressive numbers to be sure, but don't just take my word for it. The NFL and the Steelers organization said it first as Butler was on the NFL's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, as well as the Steelers 50 Anniversary Team. Yet, he isn't in the Hall of Fame. Based on the numbers alone one would think he'd have been enshrined by now. But he isn't. I could easily offer personal conjecture as to why he isn't, but it would sound as if I'm just a homer for my team. So I won't speculate as to why, rather I'll compare his accomplishments against some contemporaries who actually do have their busts in Canton.

Let's start with another Jack who played during the same basic years as Butler: Jack Christiansen, who played with the Lions from 1951-1958. Christiansen intercepted 46 balls in his career for a total of 717 return yards and 3 touchdowns. Christiansen also recovered 7 fumbles in his career. His case was bolstered, though, because of returning both kicks and punts throughout his career. He returned kicks and punts so well that it helped him to four 1st Team All-Pros. Comparable numbers nonetheless and yet Christiansen is in the HOF, but Butler isn't. Another contemporary who could be considered is Dick "Night Train" Lane. He played from 1952-1965 and picked off 68 passes in his career returning them for 1,207 yards and scoring five touchdowns. He recovered 11 fumbles, returning one for a touchdown and was a three-time All-Pro. This particular HOFer's actual numbers are greater than those of Butler, as you can see, but he accomplished them in 54 more games. Projecting Butler's numbers out over 157 games would give him approximately 78 interceptions and 15 fumble recoveries, not to mention probably at least a couple more All-Pro selections. Alright, one last comparison before I wrap this part up. HOFer Willie Wood played for the Green Bay Packers from 1960-1971 and was a 5-time 1st Team All-Pro. He intercepted 48 passes in his career for a total of 699 return yards and two touchdowns. He also recovered 16 fumbles over the course of his career. Wood is another who returned both punts and kicks and was fairly proficient at it as he is credited for 1,411 total punt/kick return yards. He certainly deserves the Hall of Fame induction he received, all of these men do. But his defensive numbers, even with playing over 60 more games than Butler, simply were not as good. If, again, you were to project Butler's numbers over the career of Mr. Wood's, he'd have 83 interceptions, which would be the most in NFL history, approximately 16 fumble recoveries also, and who knows how many return yards and touchdowns. Obviously we can't truly speculate, but the point is that Butler's numbers, accolades and impact on the field of play are easily as significant as his three contempories mentioned here. Yet, he isn't in the Hall of Fame.


I've been talking for a while now on the Hall of Fame, yet I haven't addressed the criteria set forth by the Hall itself. What are the requirements for induction? Well let's see what profootballhof.com has to say on the matter. In the "Hall of Famers: Selection Process" section you'll find a paragraph that reads this way: "Any fan may nominate any player, coach or contributor who has been connected with pro football simply by writing to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The only restriction is that a player and coach must have been retired at least five years before he can be considered. There is no mandatory retirement period for a contributor before he may be considered. Every nomination of an eligible candidate received will be processed and forwarded to the Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee." Yep, that's about the extent of what the website gives as to the criteria for being nominated. In other words it's very nebulous. But if we take into consideration what was said regarding past enshrinees at the time of their induction, we can assume that there are three basic criteria: 1) Excellence or dominance at the position for a good portion of their career, 2) where their numbers and/or accomplishments were ranked at the time of their retirement, and 3) how they stack up against their contemporaries. Hm...I think I already made that case for him. In that case, I'll simply sum this up: in 103 regular season games, a 9 year career, Jack Butler's accomplishments and impact were on the level of three HOFers who played in his era, was a member of the NFL's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, a member of the Steelers 50th Anniversary Team, a four time All Pro, and the number two all-time interception leader when he retired, yet, he still isn't...well, you know the rest.