football is for sure a violent sport. no doubt those old timers were more susceptible to injury that would show up later on. i remember seeing a story on the "bus" jerome bettis in his final year. they showed what it took for him to get up in the mornings. it was scary what he went thru every morning just to function.

but lets be honest about this. not everybody can be an insurance salesman or an accountant. how many of these guys that are suffering from the aftereffects of football, would have worked in jobs that left them in similar condition. how many construction workers are missing fingers and have loss of hearing and bad backs. how many would have ended up on the streets selling drugs.

football is a violent sport and it leaves carnage to guys bodies. but there is no reason to think that all these guys would have had lives of roses and wine sunset. jmo


p.s.
i loved gayle sayers. i will never forget the first time i seen "brians song". granted, sayers was a pro while i was just wee bitty feller, but i seen the film. dude was awesome!

Silly, You might remember the center who snapped the ball to Terry Bradshaw during the Pittsburgh Steeler's glory years. He played his college football at Wake Forest and his name is Jim Clack. I knew him as a close friend for many years and then we went our separate ways. I've had his super bowl rings on my finger many times and he told me many times that if he had it all to do over again he would have never stepped on a football field because of over twelve back and knee operations and because it took him over 30 minutes to get out of his own bed every morning due to pain. Is any living in the limelight and destroying your body worth this?

Didn't HOF'er Mike Webster snap the ball to Bradshaw? Yes he did.

Jim Clack!!! now that is a name that not many people know about.
I do remember seeing his name on his uniform during that play.

But Mr. Sayers only played in just 68 games during his career.
now once again he is going to get robbed. 3 times for him sure was no charm.

Both Webster and Clack snapped the ball to Bradshaw during the Steelers glory years. Clack played a lot of offensive guard for the Steelers during those years too.