With the NFL Preseason well under way, the litany of players injured during training camp and in games continues to grow.
With all of the media in Eden Prairie, Minn. devoting their attention to Brett Favre’s return, it was wide receiver
Percy Harvin’s migraine episode that grabbed the attention of the NFL and medical staffs around the league.
According to the Vikings medical staff, Harvin was taken by ambulance after collapsing watching practice and experienced what head coach Brad Childress called a seizure-like episode.
While migraines are most often associated with genetic factors including certain hormone levels that make a person more susceptible to developing migraines, it is still a condition in which the cause is relatively unknown to medical professionals.
What is known is that migraines are a neurological condition that is triggered from repeated stress on the brain.
Although Harvin’s migraine episode at last week’s practice may not be directly related to repeated head trauma, the incident exemplifies a growing concern in the NFL community regarding neurological problems and the effect the physical contact players face during the NFL season has on the brain’s functioning.
With the revenue stream at an all-time high and popularity continuing to grow, there has been growing support from Commissioner Roger Goodell and other league pundits to expand the regular season from 16 to 18 games. However, the NFL needs to take a serious look at the growing number of neurological deficiencies being reported as a result of head trauma occurring on the field. 
Recent studies among researchers have found statistically significant outcomes that link on-field concussions to losses in motor control, cognitive functioning, balance and memory.
In fact, former NFL wide receiver
Chris Henry’s autopsy found that the receiver had
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a type of brain damage that is a direct result of repeated trauma to the head, as Henry experienced during his football career. CTE causes mental degeneration and dementia that occurs at a much quicker rate than the normal brain, causing a person’s quality of life to be reduced drastically at an age in which neurological problems should not be occurring. Even scarier for the NFL: Chris Henry never had a concussion during his college and professional career. 
The recent research findings and the growing list of head related injuries puts the NFL in a precarious situation; The league needs to continue to promote its stars, but at what cost?
With the talks of expanding the regular season, the NFL continues to push the level of dangerousness that will eventually need to be addressed.
Lawsuits that are a result of loss of quality of life are sure to arise if the NFL doesn’t take a proactive stance on head trauma.
Albeit the short-term effects could hinder the growth of the game and of superstars such as Harvin, the NFL would be doing itself a favor by stepping in and dictating the playing status of players coming off head injuries. Just this week, researchers found that
NFL players are 8 times more likely to develop ALS than the average person and that Lou Gehrig may have developed the disease as a result of concussions. During his tenure as commissioner, Goodell has never been lax regarding policy decisions. This could be the most important aspect to protecting the league brand and safety of its players.
With the NFL Preseason well under way, the litany of players injured during training camp and in games continues to grow. With all of the media in Eden Prairie, Minn. devoting their attention to Brett Favre’s return, it was wide receiver Percy Harvin’s migraine episode that grabbed the attention of the NFL and medical staffs around the league. According to the Vikings medical staff, Harvin was taken by ambulance after collapsing watching practice and experienced what head coach Brad Childress called a seizure-like episode. While migraines are most often associated with genetic factors including certain hormone levels that make a person more susceptible to developing migraines, it is still a condition in which the cause is relatively unknown to medical professionals. What is known is that migraines are a neurological condition that is triggered from repeated stress on the brain. Although Harvin’s migraine episode at last week’s practice may not be directly related to repeated head trauma, the incident exemplifies a growing concern in the NFL community regarding neurological problems and the effect the physical contact players face during the NFL season has on the brain’s functioning. With the revenue stream at an all-time high and popularity continuing to grow, there has been growing support from Commissioner Roger Goodell and other league pundits to expand the regular season from 16 to 18 games. However, the NFL needs to take a serious look at the growing number of neurological deficiencies being reported as a result of head trauma occurring on the field. 
Recent studies among researchers have found statistically significant outcomes that link on-field concussions to losses in motor control, cognitive functioning, balance and memory. In fact, former NFL wide receiver Chris Henry’s autopsy found that the receiver had Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a type of brain damage that is a direct result of repeated trauma to the head, as Henry experienced during his football career. CTE causes mental degeneration and dementia that occurs at a much quicker rate than the normal brain, causing a person’s quality of life to be reduced drastically at an age in which neurological problems should not be occurring. Even scarier for the NFL: Chris Henry never had a concussion during his college and professional career. 
The recent research findings and the growing list of head related injuries puts the NFL in a precarious situation; The league needs to continue to promote its stars, but at what cost? With the talks of expanding the regular season, the NFL continues to push the level of dangerousness that will eventually need to be addressed. Lawsuits that are a result of loss of quality of life are sure to arise if the NFL doesn’t take a proactive stance on head trauma. Albeit the short-term effects could hinder the growth of the game and of superstars such as Harvin, the NFL would be doing itself a favor by stepping in and dictating the playing status of players coming off head injuries. Just this week, researchers found that NFL players are 8 times more likely to develop ALS than the average person and that Lou Gehrig may have developed the disease as a result of concussions. During his tenure as commissioner, Goodell has never been lax regarding policy decisions. This could be the most important aspect to protecting the league brand and safety of its players. 
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