The Change in Football Around Head Trauma

Do you have any regrets that you didn't start fighting like when you were young? I wish that, well, it's funny because like I started playing football before all that concussion shit came out. But all you heard about was like boxers with, you know, head injuries or head trauma, CT and shit before it was called CTE. So I always wanted, I always favored individual sports over team sports. I fucking hated team sports. I only started playing football because my older brother played football and then I realized that girls like football players. And then I realized, oh, I'm kind of good at football. So fuck. But I asked my mom, is like, can I box? And she was like, no, because you're gonna fucking get brain damage and you're gonna ruin your face. And I paid money for your braces and your teeth and I ain't gonna fuck your face up. And I was like, all right. But then meanwhile, you know, she let me go run full speed into another human being who's also running full speed, you know, with like a piece of plastic on my head. Like when I first I started playing, I was like seven years old and then it's like one size fits all. My shoulder pads fucking came out to here and my helmet fucking wobbling around. So like, you know, definitely wasn't like 1950s, but it ain't like it is now. Right. You know, so the only times I've ever been like knocked unconscious is playing football, which is a pretty scary fucking experience because you lose time. The first time I did it, we were doing a drill. I was like 12 years old, two guys, 10 yards apart. There's a cone off to the side in the middle and you literally run full speed and smash each other. That's the drill. That's the drill. It's like an angle tackle. We drill one guy's on offense, the running back. Everybody else is on defense. And so they say go. You got sprint five yards boom at angle and you know, car collision. But did I hit this kid and I fucking got up. I was woozy got to the back of line and boom, you know, it's kind of like little giants. You wake up. Everybody's around you fucking like oh, that's okay. Do he does that to everybody? I was like, fuck y'all. Let me go. Yeah, I'll fucking I don't like me man. And then when I was in college, I ran. I was running down on kickoff. Are you familiar with football? Yeah, I ran down on a on a kickoff. And at the time you can't even do this anymore, but they put like the offense and defensive lineman in a wedge. And the dude with the ball would just they were just like fucking a clear house. So I just like fuck it and just close my eyes and dove in there. Oh, and like my net and it was like on the far sideline. My next cognitive memory is like I'm walking around on our sideline. I do. How the fuck did I get here? I was just over there. Now I'm here. Wow. And then like five minutes. Say all right kickoff team go again. I was like, dude, I don't I don't know if I should do that. But you know at the time is like you can't be a pussy. This fucking go. And now they're like, oh dude, now they stop people from doing chili. Yeah, they're like if you get KO'd now on a football game, do they just stop? If you suspect you of having a concussion, they take your helmet and you're done. Back and there's you know, when I played like shit like that was encouraged. Well, he doesn't want to play anymore bitch pussy. Like actually, you know, that guy's actually, you know, a little bit smarter than the rest of us. Isn't it crazy that it's so recent that they figured all this out? Yeah. And well, I think I think the big turning point there was a guy named. Junior say out who was a linebacker for the Chargers committed suicide and they you know, they don't know if you have CTE till after you die and they study your brain. And they're like, his brains not right. Yeah. And so then that after that I think is when they started, you know, changing the rules and stuff is, you know, the football has its play today. It doesn't really look like how it was like the big hits was encouraged blindsides were encouraged. It's like, oh fuck, did you saw what I just did to that guy if I can, you know, laugh about it. Right now you get kicked out of the game and you have to sit out the following game as well. Really? So they're trying to figure out a way to make the craziest, most non safe sport ever safe. Well, I was like, you know, so like a lot of people were like ignorant back then. But now you know, like the risks that you're taking. So yeah, sign the waiver and go sign the waiver. And also, you know, it's an opportunity for greatness. Yeah, that's the thing. It's like you will take that risk. But if you become a superstar, the rewards are pretty substantial. I mean, if you're a superstar in the NFL and you can you can bang out five, six years, like you make us get that money. Like if I knew then what I knew now, would I still play football? Absolutely. There's nothing you could have done to stop me from from playing outside of an injury. Like, yeah, I fucking I love football. I like everything that came with football. I love the lifestyle of football. And, you know, at the time, I thought I was going to make a lot of money playing football. So, you know, yeah, I'll take the risk. And, you know, same thing with fighting. Oh, you worried about your brain. I mean, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. You seem fine now. Yeah. Well, you know, I think mushrooms help. And it helps. Yeah. I guess that's like preventative stuff. Mm hmm. So.