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Message: <blockquote data-quote="norm70" data-source="post: 75731" data-attributes="member: 1738">I played football in high school and for, 4 years in college. I played in a significant amount of games at both levels. I had numerous concussions and blacked out a few occasions. I have never had any side effects. This fall I will also be entering my 18th year of coaching high school football. If I would coach my players the way I was taught and played I would be fired and most likely sued. There is inherent risk in all sports including football. In a sport where the main objective is to either run over or stop someone from running you over at full speed there is risk. I can only speak for the North Dakota, but all coaches now have to take and pass a concussion course to recognize the signs of even a slight concussion. A player, when put into the concussion protocol, must pass a series of tests before being considered being put back on the field. Coaches, at least the ones I know, take concussions very seriously.  About 6 or 7 years ago most staffs around the state switched to some form of what is called Seahawk or Hawk tackling. If you have watched a rugby match it is very similar. For those of you that remember how you were taught to tackle, it is almost the exact opposite way.  As an offensive line coach I also preach to my players that we never lead with the crown of our helmet. All in all the NFL did itself a huge disservice by denying the existence of CTE in its players. They could have poured millions into research and  they would be miles ahead of how much CTE is understood now. I have a 4 year old son and hoping one day he will want to play football with his dad coaching him. A couple things to remember, the existence of CTE in former players is real and very scary, but the methods taught in todays game are so much safer than they were even 10 years ago. NFL players compared to high school players are super human. There are guys in the NFL the size of body builders and as fast as olympic sprinters. That doesn't happen in high school. Unfortunately this does not eliminate all risk, there is a young man 35 miles from where I coach that suffered a traumatic brain injury and a brain bleed as a result of a football injury. The young man mostly likely will spend the rest of his life non verbal and in a wheelchair. Hopefully one day technology in the sport is able to all but eliminate concussions but for now, the risk of CTE or a traumatic brain injury due to a concussion remain very low and I am excited to one day see my son play football.</blockquote>

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