A concussion tale

CEDAR RAPIDS — It is first-and-goal for the Solon Spartans at the 6-yard line. After a successful conversion on fourth-and-20, Cedar Rapids Xavier's defense looks exhausted and dejected. Already trailing, 13-7, midway through the third quarter, Coach Duane Schulte and company cannot afford to give up another touchdown.

This pivotal district game has major postseason implications for both teams and the players are willing to lay their bodies on the line to bring home a victory for their respective schools.

The running back smells the end zone and darts up the middle, but the right defensive end for Xavier comes around the corner and stops him for no gain.

This is how every fan witnessed this Class 3A football game on a crisp Friday night last fall. It was one of the more exciting games in Xavier history, with the Saints prevailing, 22-19, thanks to a 58-yard touchdown pass from junior Bryce Schulte to senior Nick Stark in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter.

However, among all the drama and chaos, a harsh reality was overlooked and forgotten. That third-quarter play near the goal line left No. 87 for the Saints disoriented for several seconds and was followed by an intense headache for the rest of the game. It was never diagnosed as a concussion and he felt fine by the time Monday practice came around, but it was tough to avoid the inevitable. His brain was being subject to repeated blows that could ultimately doom his health if he continued to play this brutal sport. This risk was one he was more than willing to take, along with millions of young athletes from around the United States following a similar path.

That player was me and those events are a vivid flashback of my own football career. Although my example may not be as violent as others, the bottom line remains the same — athletes will do anything to succeed in this game, even if it means jeopardizing their future mental and psychological state.

None of this is meant to take away from how tremendously thankful I am for all I have gained from participating in this activity. Football is and always will be a favorite pastime of mine, providing me with life lessons and memories I will cherish forever.

That said, it is time to realize the significance of this beautiful game goes far beyond the wins and losses and the broken records. How far will players, coaches and commissioners push the boundaries before the concussion issue becomes a serious epidemic in our society? For most, the passion and pageantry of the game continues to call their name.

'I just love the game too much,' Stark said. 'I also realize that NFL players have been involved with the game a lot longer than me, resulting in more consistent shots to the head than I ever experienced.'

Over Christmas break, I decided to go see the movie 'Concussion.' It was truly devastating to see how negatively the lives of former NFL players had been affected by football and a powerful testament to the lack of safety regulations that once exist in the league.

According to CNN, there were 202 diagnosed concussions during the 2014 NFL season. An eye-opening statistic, to say the least, but these numbers fail to consider the innumerable amount of secondary hits to the head/neck region that occur on a day-to-day basis for these players.

My brother, John, is another reason why this topic has become so fascinating to me. He suffered one major concussion and two minor ones during his own high school football career. With one more collision, his chances of being able to play another down would have been shut down forever.

With research studies continuing to show the unfavorable conditions presented out on the gridiron, it is important that parents and athletes everywhere continue to work toward creating the safest atmosphere possible. From state-of-the-art helmets to players being penalized and fined for vicious hits, change is most certainly possible. However, it is virtually impossible to make a serious impact on this issue without changing the very nature of the game.

The least a casual fan of competition can do is adopt a more realistic perspective when watching that next crushing hit of the quarterback unfold.