The 8-year linebacker from the N.F.L., Luke Kuechly, made the difficult decision to retire at the age of 28 because of constant concussions and dangers on the field. Now, he is sharing his experiences through coaching and scouting.
On June 25th, 2023, Kuechly talked with the New York Times about his health and the dangers of football. Kuechly expressed how he wants players to have long and successful careers, “the biggest thing for me is I just want guys to be safe. I want guys to have the opportunity to play as long as they can with the game that they love. But I think everybody in the N.F.L. understands that it’s a violent game. It’s physical, it’s tough. There are big strong guys running around, and getting hurt is kind of inevitable.”
He commented on how a player be aware of the risks, and know how to recover from an injury properly so it doesn’t effect progress in the long run. When Kuechly had a severe concussion, he reflects, “I learned, fortunately early on, from our trainers and our coaches and different doctors and guys that I played with who said this isn’t like a sprained ankle where you can just deal with it and get through it and tough it out. This is something where you’ve got to be smart and understand that this is a different situation. You got to let it get better.”As more and more attention is being brought to concussions and brain injuries, players could have a better time on the field without sitting out because of injuries or experiencing long-term health problems.
When being asked by, “You visited Congress last month to discuss traumatic brain injury. What did you think the level of awareness was?” Kuechly replied that he knew that everyone understood the dangers and that things could be done about it, like improving helmets and protective gear and placing strict penalties for dangerous tackles. But the progress is slow, and the more we spread perspectives, the more impact it brings to the game.
Kuechly says to parents who fear their child getting hurt: “you do what you think is best for your child. You’re their parent. You ultimately know what’s best for them.” He always talks about football in a positive way, even while he seeks to shed some light on the tough parts of the game. No matter what circumstance a player might be in, it’s best to always remember the joy of football and the experience you gained.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/25/sports/football/luke-kuechly-retired-football-concussions.html
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/we-can-make-football-safer/
On June 25th, 2023, Kuechly talked with the New York Times about his health and the dangers of football. Kuechly expressed how he wants players to have long and successful careers, “the biggest thing for me is I just want guys to be safe. I want guys to have the opportunity to play as long as they can with the game that they love. But I think everybody in the N.F.L. understands that it’s a violent game. It’s physical, it’s tough. There are big strong guys running around, and getting hurt is kind of inevitable.”
He commented on how a player be aware of the risks, and know how to recover from an injury properly so it doesn’t effect progress in the long run. When Kuechly had a severe concussion, he reflects, “I learned, fortunately early on, from our trainers and our coaches and different doctors and guys that I played with who said this isn’t like a sprained ankle where you can just deal with it and get through it and tough it out. This is something where you’ve got to be smart and understand that this is a different situation. You got to let it get better.”As more and more attention is being brought to concussions and brain injuries, players could have a better time on the field without sitting out because of injuries or experiencing long-term health problems.
When being asked by, “You visited Congress last month to discuss traumatic brain injury. What did you think the level of awareness was?” Kuechly replied that he knew that everyone understood the dangers and that things could be done about it, like improving helmets and protective gear and placing strict penalties for dangerous tackles. But the progress is slow, and the more we spread perspectives, the more impact it brings to the game.
Kuechly says to parents who fear their child getting hurt: “you do what you think is best for your child. You’re their parent. You ultimately know what’s best for them.” He always talks about football in a positive way, even while he seeks to shed some light on the tough parts of the game. No matter what circumstance a player might be in, it’s best to always remember the joy of football and the experience you gained.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/25/sports/football/luke-kuechly-retired-football-concussions.html
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/we-can-make-football-safer/
