Chris Borland, a budding star in the NFL announced last Monday on ESPN’s
Outside The Lines that he is retiring at the age of 24 due to concerns about
the long-term impact of football-related trauma. Borland will have to return
most of a signing bonus worth over $600,000 after walking away from a four-year
deal worth almost $3 million (Fainaru & Fainaru-Wade, 2015).
Borland has comparatively little history of head trauma next to some NFL
veterans. He said he discussed the issue with neuroscientists, former NFL
players, and family before making the decision (Fainaru &
Fainaru-Wade, 2015).
In regard to his decision, in a follow-up interview with ESPN, Borland
said: "I can relate from the outside looking in that it wouldn't make
sense to a lot of people, and I've had close friends who have said, 'Well, why
don't you just play one more year, it's a lot more money, you probably won't
get hurt.' I just don't want to get in a situation where I'm negotiating my
health for money. Who knows how many hits is too many” (Fainaru
& Fainaru-Wade, 2015, para. 9)?
I myself was surprised to hear of Borland’s choice, simply because it is
so unusual for an athlete. I respect and admire Borland’s ability to put his
health over his career ambitions. That he is able to leave so much money on the
table as he approached the prime of his career playing a sport he loves is a
testament to his priorities.
What do you think of Borland’s decision to retire? Do you believe his
situation is anomalous or is this something we will now be seeing often with
football?
BY Nate Pentecost
BY Nate Pentecost
References:
Fainaru, S. &
Fainaru-Wade, M. (2015, March 18). Inside Borland’s decision to leave. ESPN. Retrieved from http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/12501655/how-san-francisco-49ers-chris-borland-made-decision-retire-safety-concerns.
Nate, I completely agree that Borland deserves respect and admiration for his decision to retire from the National Football League due to concerns with head trauma and its lasting effects. If one man out of the hundreds that play in the league chooses to retire, it is not the end of the world. Borland made a decision that he feels is right for himself and his family in the long run. I was appalled to see the amount of people criticizing Borland for his decision on social media, saying he was a baby for retiring so early or that he is insane for passing up that type of money. I didn’t view that as an ethical way to handle the situation on the part of the critical fans and professional commentators. It is easy for the everyday fan to feel like Borland is a nut job for doing this, but until those fans suit up on a Sunday and take the blows to the head that these athletes do, they are in no position to criticize him for it as harshly as they have been.
ReplyDeleteNow that there is medical information out there in regards to CTE, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a slight decline of football participation starting at the peewee level. However, when talking to friends of mine who played high school and collegiate football, the majority of them have said they would enroll their children in the sport even knowing what they know now about head trauma. So it is all relative to who you ask, I think.
Alexx Klein
I am in full support of Borland's decision to step away from football. Having followed his career at Wisconsin and actually getting the opportunity to see him play in person on a few occasions, I can say that he's one of the toughest guys I've seen play linebacker.This is why I have a problem with people questioning his toughness. He did't avoid contact by any means.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a small situation that is unique. Borland feels comfortable to step away from the game and pursue other life ventures. I don't think the NFL is in any danger of having a major problem. There are thousands of guys trying to get the opportunity to play in the League and guys already in the League that throw caution to the side because this is their only way of making an income; a tremendously large one at that.
I agree with both Alexx and Eric. Today we know the impact playing football can have on an individuals body. I can see this happening more in the future. I believe it will still be a pretty unique circumstance because of the desire to play at that level. It shows that he values aren't just a game or an income. It is important to value your body and health. One more year of hits could make the next 30 years tough. Some days I really feel it in my body from being a catcher and that's not even a contact sport. I could not imagine how the body takes the impact and force against it at that level and for years on end. You just never know in a contact sport. I support his decision of retiring. He may be a great player and fun to watch but it is good to see he is more concerned about his health.
ReplyDeleteCourtney Cox
You are already seeing peewee football be impacted by the decision of kids to not go out. My hometown use to have two peewee teams with hundreds of players in each program. They are now down to one team with less than a hundred kids. I’ve always been a believer that peewee football is too young for a kid to start playing the game. They do not know the proper fundamentals and are not being coached by people who really know that they are talking about. But as far as Chris Borland’s story, I think that he should be commemorated for his decision. It is a very tough decision to make. You can tell that he is very mature with the way that he handled the situation. But I do not believe that his decision will have an impact on the NFL itself. There will always be more players wanting the chance to play then there are quitting.
ReplyDeleteThis came as a surprise to all, but this is probably something that we will continue to see more of. As concussion research continues to come out, people will start to see the real risk in playing football. The game of football has a real issue on their hands with decisions such as these. I believe that there will always be enough players for college and professional football, but numbers will continue to dwindle in lower level leagues.
ReplyDeleteI think Borland's decision was admirable. If he truly believes that the money and glamour is not worth the risk of injury, I am happy for him. He will be successful in life as he has a very good degree from Wisconsin. I'm sure the decision was tough for him, but this may be one that we continue to see. Professional football players have to ask themselves the serious question of whether playing in the NFL is worth the risk of a not so admirable life in the future.
Derek Shay