Props to him for knowing money and dreams are no good if you cant remember them.

 

Its a shame he's a talented guy, props to our staff for not using the draft pick on him that many of us wanted to use on him. Best of luck to him in whatever new career he chooses to embark on.

 

Good decision for him, I think he has his priorities straight. Concussions are scary business.

 

Tell me about it. A woman we are good friends with has a 15 year old kid who has had 4-5 concussions already and she still let's him play football.

 

Holy crap, that is reckless parenting.

Feel terrible for Swope, that must suck to be that young and athletic and you have to shut it down.

 

That's ****ing nuts.

 

Dammit Jeff.

 

Wow, so ****ing sad. As someone who has had multiple concussions playing football, all the way through college, and now I have headaches daily, migraines, vision issues etc....I say good for him.

Hopefully he coaches, or personal trains somewhere and can make a good living doing something he likes.

 

How is it possible to have 5 concussions playing against freshmen?

 

One of my good friends in 11th grade was on the football team, despite having been through 3 concussions, then he got another one and the doctors told him that he has the risk of dying if he gets another one. Guess who is playing rugby now... People need to take care of themselves

 

15 is sophmore, and if you're like me, you play varsity as a freshman, 2 a day practices, 10 games as a frosh, then spring practice, 2 a-days again, and another season against 18 year olds, you could absolutley have that many concussions, especially if you don't say anything like me, because you didn't want to look "weak"

 

They are younger than pros and college athletes so their tackling technique and hitting technique is not fully there, and they love hitting. Adds to concussions everywhere. In my football team in Mexico we dealed with concussions once or twice per game

 

Pretty much everyone turns 15 freshman year, and everyone has 2 a days around here in 100 degree heat. The few concussions I remember freshman year happened to the ridiculously small kids. Varsity is understandable.

 

dang poor guy that sucks

 

Ok....football season is aug-nov in high school. So your freshman year (starting august) you are 14.....you practice, play the season, have winter break, spring, turn 15, summer, sophmore year, 2 a days, 2nd season, still 15.....thats 20 full games, 1 spring practice, 2 preseason work outs.....thats a lot of opportunity for concussions/contact by time they are 15. And thats not counting post season.

 

I think you'd have to be doing something pretty wrong to get that many concussions. My guess is he got a few minor ones and it's getting worse. (the kid)
I've had 3 in my liftetime. I stopped boxing due to wanting to keep my brain in tact. That sucks enough I can't imagine how swope feels.

 

Sorry to hear that Luckster.

 

I'm firmly against contact football before high school, let'em play flag until their freshman..

 

thanks. The last one was recent and I flipped a quad on myself. After that I said no more lol

 

he got concussions mostly playing football through middle school, but he also got one in baseball in a collision (minor one) and a stronger one in basketball. but, basically it says he is sensitive to them and it's getting worse. I got his mother to promise to pull him out of football if he gets one more.

 

I was playing contact football from 8 years old, every year till 22. That's an amazingly insane amount of contact. And most of it, probably extremely terrible technique.

 

We're you serious about the craft???

Got to meet Freddie roach a couple months ago at his gym, he was real nice to us.

 

naw I was just an amateur.
Freddie Roach from what I've read is a really great guy. Lets whomever work out in his gym apparently. A lot of boxers are like that though. It's a real unique kinship.

 

I always knew you had brain damage...good to know it is confirmed now :tongue2:

joking son, if you need anything call me.

 

yeah like that was hard to diagnose......

 

Thats a late bday, a lot of us turned 15 during the season.

But then theyre playing for their first time against kids that have been playing tackle since 3rd grade.

 

Let them play Sarcastaball until then!

 

One would question the parenting, but also what kind of a high school program would put their own success ahead of the long term health of the kids?

 

It's not as dangerous as football in that regard, but I had a couple of concussions playing rugby, so still a risk. Although the risk in full 15-a-side is much higher that 7's, which is what your friend might be playing. Professional 15-a-side rugby is still a long way behind football in it's awareness of concussions, it's a common sight currently to see players being helped off not knowing where they are...then see them going back on 5-10 minutes later. Brian O'Driscoll is famous for it, and the commentators usually applaud him when he does.

It's a real shame for Swope that he's unlikely now to ever play NFL, but the right decision for his long-term health. I also wanted us badly to pick him in the draft, so props to our scouting/medical staff and Ireland for not going there.

 

Season starts well before August now. Thees kids around here (and I believe you're from around here) have been practicing with pads since mid-June.

 

Every one of them.

 

Damn, that sucks for him. He must be crushed, work so hard, for so long to play in the NFL, he finally gets drafted, and has to shut it down before even getting to step on the field. Good for him to be able to make that tough decision and value his future outside of the game.

 

I never played football....grew up playing baseball and soccer...which turned into Mens League Softball and Soccer as an adult. Ive watched alot of youth football though...and something Sick said struck me....bed technique. (EDIT** Whoops....that was supposed to read BAD) I really wonder how much the concussion issue is cause because of poor tackling technique. My brother in law coached football, and I know he coached chin up...square and drive.

 

Sad.

 

This was one of the question marks around him going into the draft. Just how serious was the concussion issue? Apparently, it was very serious. It should have been a tip off considering how low he went in the draft. Had the concussions not been an issue, Swope was a late 2nd to early 3rd round pick at worst.

 

They teach you technique. However, and I may be in the minority here, but I noticed a DIRECT coorelation between the "hit stick" in Madden video games....and the way kids on the football field changed how they "tackled" (I use that word lightly). all of a sudden kids were blazing in, fists connected, ready to blast guys with their head/shoulder to "hit stick" them. And I am not just talking crossing patterns across the middle, but a straight dive play, one on one with middle linebacker, the MLB should be wrapping, head up, and driving into the ground....instead they are running full speed and trying to blast the running back and crack him to the ground.

Thats not the only thing that changed....obviously "big hits" on youtube, the internet, hd tv etc etc Caused people to change their tackling technique, and I think its a big deal to try correct it early and often with coaching.

 

Thats where a coach worth a damn gets in your ear. Not only is it a sure tackle but a clean wrapped up tackle driving the ballcarrier backwards onto his back is still the sexiest tackle. Even clean wrapped up tackles can give the defender a stinger though if the ball carrier lowers his head.

 

They passed a state law in Iowa banning two-a-days this year.