Thread: average life expectancy of NFL players is 55

While the average for the US at large is 75.

The average American male lives to be almost 75. According to the Times report, an NFL player, whose career lasts roughly four years on average, lives to be 55. The more years a player spends in the NFL, the more games and practices he survives, the quicker he dies.

Four years in the NFL takes 20 off of a player's life expectancy on average.

Is this something that the NFL needs to address? the fans? the players? or is it just the downside of a lucrative career doing what the player loves to do anyway?

Your thoughts?

Linky

I think the NFL is doing as much as it can given that football is a violent sport. The players need to be fully informed what the risk before the draft in my opinion.

Originally Posted by soccerboy22

I think the NFL is doing as much as it can given that football is a violent sport. The players need to be fully informed what the risk before the draft in my opinion.

pretty much this! Plus you can only make so many adjustments to the game before fans stop watching, for all our 'worry" we still watch the games, buy the merch and cheer every big hit.

Originally Posted by Higgins86

pretty much this! Plus you can only make so many adjustments to the game before fans stop watching, for all our 'worry" we still watch the games, buy the merch and cheer every big hit.

Eh depends on the hit. I never cheer at a hit where a player leaves his feet to make the hit. That is just stupid and dangerous.

Originally Posted by soccerboy22

Eh depends on the hit. I never cheer at a hit where a player leaves his feet to make the hit. That is just stupid and dangerous.

but there are plenty of people in the bar that do! Just because your a decent human being doesnt mean the rest of the population is!

I love how this is the NFL's fault. The ignorant masses demand a scapegoat.

Originally Posted by the_recruit

I love how this is the NFL's fault. The ignorant masses demand a scapegoat.

So, you think it's the NFL's fault? No one else has said that.

I suspect that some of it has to do with Type A personalities.

Originally Posted by lizzie

I suspect that some of it has to do with Type A personalities.

I think it has more to do with the fact that football's inherently a violent game, but that's just me.

Originally Posted by StillBallin75

I think it has more to do with the fact that football's inherently a violent game, but that's just me.

Well, that could be, but there seems to be a significant number of coaches who die early as well.