Suicide In The National Football League

May 2, 2012...The day that the National Football League lost one of their former great players due to suicide. His name was Junior Seau. Throughout Mr. Seau’s career he played for plenty of teams. Some of those include: the Miami Dolphins, San Diego Chargers, and New England Patriots. Mr. Seau was rewarded for his elite level of play and was named a pro bowl all star for twelve years before he retired in 2009. Shortly after his retirement, three years to be exact, Junior Seau committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest with a gun. This greatly affected his fans along with the rest of the NFL. Mostly because the world did not know him as a depressed or mentally ill person. they only saw him happy and playing the sport he loved. Shortly

After playing In the National Football League for such a long time, the blows to the head take their toll. Eventually the continuous hits mess up your thought process and cause you to become depressed and maybe even ponder suicide. “There have also been several reports of suicides and suicide attempts by former players,” (Oguntoyinbo). Suicide is not a subject that should be taken lightly. If players are being hit in the head and getting so many concussions to the point where they are going to suffer from suicidal thoughts in the long run, something needs to be changed immediately. Another example is Andre Waters, former NFL player. Waters died at a very young age due to concussions. Similar to Junior Seau, Mr. Waters committed suicide (Concussion Repercussions). Due to the brain damage and physical abuse to players brains, their psychological state of mind is altered. Lastly, “Webster's psychiatric symptoms, including pissing in his oven and squirting Super Glue on his rotting teeth,” (Schaffer). These are serious psychiatric symptoms that all athletes need to take into consideration. When choosing to play football. An athlete’s decision should not be based off of simply if it is fun or not. Parents should inform their kids of all of the risks that come along with playing the game. It is the best way to stay safe and be prepared for what comes with playing