"Don't let your kids play football," he says. "Never."(HT: Mark Wolter)
It is an odd thing, hearing these sort of words from a man like David Louis Pear, University of Washington standout, Pro Bowl defensive lineman for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Super Bowl champion with the Oakland Raiders. His five-year NFL career was one thousands of high school and college athletes would envy -- charging out of a darkened stadium tunnel, 70,000 fans screaming for you, loving you, praising you, idolizing you.
"You wanna know the truth?" says Pear.
The question lingers -- the 56-year-old ex-athlete preparing to unload one more skull-splitting hit.
"I wish I never played football. I wish that more than anything. Every single day, I want to take back those years of my life ..."
The words are not subtle. They spit from Pear's mouth, with a blistering contempt normally reserved for drunk drivers. We are speaking via phone. I am in New York, sipping a hot chocolate, leaning back in a chair. My two young children are asleep. A Pretenders song, "2000 Miles," plays in the background. No worries, no complexities. Pear is sitting at his home in Seattle. His neck hurts. His hips hurt. His knees hurt. His feet hurt. When he wakes up in the morning, pain shoots through his body. When he goes to sleep at night, pain shoots through his body. What does Pear do to stay active?
"My life is simple," he says. "It's hard to get out of bed, but eventually I do. I try and do a little walking on the treadmill. I take naps. I go to physical therapy once per week. I read my Bible."
He is, in basic terms, a train wreck -- a football-inflicted train wreck. Pear walks with a cane and, often, simply doesn't walk at all. He suffers from vertigo and memory loss. Over the past 18 years, he has undergone eight surgeries, beginning with a Posterior Cervical Laminectomy on his neck in 1981, and including disc removal and rod fusion in his back (1987), arthroplasty in his left hip (2008) and, earlier this year, four screws removed from his lower back. Though he chalks up his physical ailments to snap after snap of punishment, he pinpoints the biggest problems back to 1979 and '80, his final two NFL seasons. While playing for Oakland, Pear suffered a herniated disc in his neck that never improved. Despite the unbearable agony, he says the Raiders urged him to keep playing.
Be a man! Be tough! "Those last two years in Oakland were very, very difficult times," he says. "I was in pain 24 hours per day, and my employers failed to acknowledge my injury. Sure, I won a Super Bowl ring. But was it worth giving up my health for a piece of jewelry? No way. Those diamonds have lost their luster."
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I have noticed that this year it seems that the NFL has gotten a bit more conservative when it comes to concussions. You are seeing more players sitting out for longer periods of time when they suffer from a head injury. This story might have had some influence and I am thankful for it.
3 comments:
As someone who regularly evaluates concussed athletes at the high school and college level, I wish this message would make sense to them at an earlier level. Too often, I have young men who are 5'6" tall and weigh 140 sustaining multiple concussions, holding out hope that they will "make it." Unfortunately, their parents often perpetuate the message.
When my dad was living (he would be almost 80 now), one of his good friends was a Dallas Cowboy. I remember this giant of a man and his little bitty wife and beautiful kids sharing good times with our family. In those days I thought they had such a great life. That was until I was grown and dad's friend had retired. Then my dad explained what horrific pain this man was in during his waking hours.
During the last 20 years, more of these stories have come out, and I'm so glad. There's no question that's why the NFL is more conservative. About time.
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Here is a hot news
The Colts continue to surprise everyone and keep playing their stars. Players such as Peyton Manning, Dwight Freeney, and Reggie Wayne continue to suit up for the Colts. The Colts have accomplished everything set out so far but it still remains a question if going perfect is one of those items.More interesting NFL Draft.
This week will be interesting to see what happens with the Jets. The Jets are fighting for their playoff lives and also have the best defense in football. Is that something that Peyton Manning needs to see right now? It’s a hard question to answer but all I know is that this is still the #1 team in football.
Merry Christmas!And have a good time!
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