REPOST: NFL players’ head-injury win at risk: Column

The National Football League is known for its parity and competitiveness. Unfortunately, it is also notorious for players who suffer brain and neurological trauma. Veteran footballers Kevin Turner and Shawn Wooden note in this USA Today article that NFL players should continue asserting for the compensation and medical care they deserve.

Kevin Turner, right, a former NFL fullback now suffers from Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Image Source: usatoday.com

As former NFL players, the excitement of a new football season always brings back memories of our own time in the league, which left its mark on all of us. Even years later, our former teammates (and rivals) remain close friends. The sport of football, as it still does for so many today, taught us enduring lessons about character, teamwork and responsibility.

Unfortunately, for many, NFL football also left a legacy of brain and neurological trauma. Young, otherwise healthy men were diagnosed with serious neurological conditions. Thousands more, concerned that years of hard hits had turned their minds into ticking bombs, feared they too were at risk of becoming sick. Indeed, just recently we learned the sad news about former NFL player, Tim Shaw, who played seven seasons in the league ALS. Kevin was diagnosed with ALS many years ago and is now suffering through the advanced stages of the disease.

Suing the NFL was not an easy decision, but it was the right decision. It took years of legal fighting, during which time too many men were diagnosed or passed away from neurocognitive conditions, but the NFL finally agreed to take care of those who made the game as successful as it is today. Once approved by the Court, the revised class action settlement announced last July will finally give all retired NFL players the care, compensation and peace-of-mind they need and deserve.

Retired players diagnosed with conditions ranging from dementia to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS will receive substantial financial compensation. And, because the compensation fund is uncapped and guaranteed for 65 years, retired players can rely on the certainty that if — God forbid — they develop one of these conditions, this settlement will be there for them.

The settlement also provides a free neurological and neuropsychologicalexamination, offered through a nationwide network of world-class physicians, which will help players safeguard their health going forward. Those diagnosed with a moderate neurocognitive impairment will receive benefits to help them treat and manage their symptoms.

Add it up, and this deal represents a tremendous victory for all retired players: compensation, care and medical exams for those who need it today, protection for all of us over the long-term.

Federal Judge Anita Brody will hold a hearing later this year in Philadelphia to determine whether to approve the settlement. In the meantime, we’ve spent the last few months speaking to our fellow retired players about the settlement; the vast majority of them agree that it represents the best possible outcome and are eager to see it finalized. While we caution against it, class members have the right to opt out or object to the settlement. However, a very small but vocal contingent of former players—who did not stand with the nearly 5,000 of us who sued the NFL originally — not only oppose the agreement but have already taken steps to appeal it in court.

We disagree strongly with this approach. If those opposing the settlement manage to delay its approval — or worse, derail the agreement entirely — the consequences could be disastrous. Men who suffer from debilitating neurological diseases will not receive the compensation their families desperately need. Thousands of former players would remain in the dark about their own neurological well-being. Others whose symptoms are just beginning to emerge will be denied medical benefits to hopefully delay the worsening of that condition. The protections guaranteed for the next 65 years would evaporate.

We understand the desire felt by these few players to keep fighting. But “fighting,” in this case, really means denying benefits for thousands of their fellow retired players, for months if not years. Furthermore, it is foolish to think the NFL, which stonewalledall of us for decades over this very issue, has any intention of offering more than they have already. Considering the legal defenses the NFL has at their disposal (which Judge Brody acknowledged in her order granting preliminary approval of the settlement), it’s remarkable that we are on the cusp of receiving these tremendous benefits in the first place. We urge those who would appeal this agreement to reconsider. Do not risk derailing this hard-won and carefully crafted settlement.

At the beginning of a new football season, it’s worth remembering why we sued the league in the first place: for decades, the NFL denied former players the very compensation and medical care that we sought to achieve with this lawsuit. Now that the league has finally agreed to this settlement, these benefits are finally within our reach. We urge our fellow retired players to embrace them.

Kevin Turner spent eight seasons in the NFL playing for the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. Kevinis currently suffering from ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Shawn Wooden spent nine seasons in the NFL playing for the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears. Both are subclass representatives in the NFL concussion litigation.

Jason Goldblatt is a sportswriter and football aficionado. Follow him on Twitter for the latest NFL updates.