Three years ago, Luke Kuechly retired from the N.F.L at age 28. He has played 8 amazing years for the Carolina Panthers and has survived at least three concussions. He now coaches 12-year-olds with his former teammate Greg Olsen. Some parents would be concerned about the child’s safety, since football is a contact sport and many injuries may result from playing it. In the last two years, researchers have also shown that too many hits to the head in youth sports can lead to developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE. He makes sure to tell the student’s parents about the violence in football and the injuries it can cause.
During a phone interview, Kuechly discussed more about what it was like being a part of the N.F.L.
You visited Congress last month to discuss traumatic brain injury. What did you think the level of awareness was?
Kuechly responded that he thought everyone understood the situation around T.B.I and head concussions. He thinks everyone knows something needs to be done to stop or at least lower the amount of injuries happening on the field. The more players talked about their own opinions about this situation, the more that could be done to prevent these injuries.
You had several concussions. Were any of them harder to deal with than the others?
He said that when you look at other players, you’ll learn from them. They’ll tell you, “Hey, let yourself get better. Once you’re better, you can go back out there.” So that’s what he learned. He said that these concussions are something where you’ve got to be smart and understand that this is a different situation from a simple sprained ankle, which you can easily deal with the pain. You gotta let it get better by itself before going back on the field.
A study was published last week that looked at not just the number of hits that players take over the course of their careers, but also their cumulative impact. Do you worry about your own long-term cognitive health?
He’s not worried but he takes good care of his health. Since he retired, he’s done a lot of research and learned a lot about how to maintain good health. He thinks the most important thing is a healthy lifestyle. Eat well, sleep well, be outside, have good relationships with people, and keep your mind active.
When you’re coaching, what do you tell parents who are concerned about the safety of the game?
He tells many people: “Hey, you do what you think is best for your child. You’re their parent. You ultimately know what’s best for them.” He just talks about the positives, whether it’s what he’s learned about how to fight through things, build relationships, the people that he’s met while playing, or the experiences he’s had during his time in the N.F.L. Any impact that causes the head to whip back or to the side suddenly can cause the brain to crash against the skull. This impact (the brain hitting the skull) is what causes a concussion. Players have to take a break after concussions or it won’t heal.
During a phone interview, Kuechly discussed more about what it was like being a part of the N.F.L.
You visited Congress last month to discuss traumatic brain injury. What did you think the level of awareness was?
Kuechly responded that he thought everyone understood the situation around T.B.I and head concussions. He thinks everyone knows something needs to be done to stop or at least lower the amount of injuries happening on the field. The more players talked about their own opinions about this situation, the more that could be done to prevent these injuries.
You had several concussions. Were any of them harder to deal with than the others?
He said that when you look at other players, you’ll learn from them. They’ll tell you, “Hey, let yourself get better. Once you’re better, you can go back out there.” So that’s what he learned. He said that these concussions are something where you’ve got to be smart and understand that this is a different situation from a simple sprained ankle, which you can easily deal with the pain. You gotta let it get better by itself before going back on the field.
A study was published last week that looked at not just the number of hits that players take over the course of their careers, but also their cumulative impact. Do you worry about your own long-term cognitive health?
He’s not worried but he takes good care of his health. Since he retired, he’s done a lot of research and learned a lot about how to maintain good health. He thinks the most important thing is a healthy lifestyle. Eat well, sleep well, be outside, have good relationships with people, and keep your mind active.
When you’re coaching, what do you tell parents who are concerned about the safety of the game?
He tells many people: “Hey, you do what you think is best for your child. You’re their parent. You ultimately know what’s best for them.” He just talks about the positives, whether it’s what he’s learned about how to fight through things, build relationships, the people that he’s met while playing, or the experiences he’s had during his time in the N.F.L. Any impact that causes the head to whip back or to the side suddenly can cause the brain to crash against the skull. This impact (the brain hitting the skull) is what causes a concussion. Players have to take a break after concussions or it won’t heal.
