Football Dangers: More than Concussions

The NFL is under fire. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune written last year, the named plaintiffs and proposed class representatives are Hall of Fame defensive end Elvin Bethea, former Oilers and Raiders quarterback Dan Pastorini, former Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall, former Vikings tight end Joe Senser, former Vikings and Chargers guard Ed White, and former Rams defensive end Fred Dryer. The complaint, filed Thursday in a Minnesota federal court, asserts various states and federal legal theories arising from the contention that the NFL uses footage of old games, via NFL Films, to market the league. (A web site has been created in connection with the lawsuit, which includes a link to the complaint.) We’ve now bigger problems than worrying about lawsuits against the NFL; we have to worry about them dying at an earlier age. In the NFL they die too soon, but not before playing one game in their careers: Reggie White was a hall-famer, Derrick Thomas died of a pulmonary embolism at 33, Eric Turner died of intestinal cancer at 31, Don Rogers passed at 23 of cardiac arrest. There are much more dangerous occurrences to worry about than concussions; especially when one doesn’t even make it out of college.

Randy Edsall said the team was “heartbroken and devastated” a person would think the coach of the University of Connecticut football team was speaking about the loss of a championship or a sit on the edge of your seat nail bitter. The human condition is able to get over that—you just suit up and set the clock again. The human condition is not so rapidly prepared to accept the loss of a friend, teammate, or lover that was to be the father of an unborn child. Unfortunately, we cannot restart the clock on a human life. Twenty-year-old Jasper Howard, originally hailing from Miami and another student unidentified by the police, were celebrating after a victory in the student union. Around 12:30 am an argument ensued and a fire alarm was pulled. The altercation was between students attending the University and guests who were not. This was likely Howard defending another student unaware that the assailant had a knife.

Authorities have yet to collar a suspect, leaving the ones Howard left behind without any justice or any answer as to why this could have happened to such a popular star athlete. The coach added that Howard was the first one of his family to go to college to escape his violent environment he grew up in. “I know Jasper loved the University of Connecticut, he loved his teammates and the opportunity he was getting at Uconn” .Uconn police Major Ronald Blicher said this is “the first homicide in thirty years”. This is how long he has been affiliated with the University. He also stated that the altercation began after the alarm was triggered in the student center that caused 300 hundred students to flee for safety. Authorities have yet to say whether any of the onlookers have been suspected of the crime. Police tapped the scene off. “Certainly not all 300 hundred students saw the event”. They have although been questioning individuals who might have seen anything at all. It has not yet been determined whether the alarm going off served as a distraction.

The most unfortunate tragedy of all this is Howard was about to become a father. There is going to be a child who asks their mother “Where is Daddy?’ one wouldn’t want to be a fly on the wall when that conversation happens because there is no easy answer. All she would be able to say is that “Daddy tried his best to save a friend”. My heart goes out to the people and family he is survived by.