Push comes to shove, it’s his choice. Absolutely and unequivocally, Chris Borland had the right to choose against an NFL career and opt for something else, anything else as a vocational path.
I don’t argue that. I don’t begrudge that.
I just don’t get his decision … at least not at the age of 24 with a single season of pro ball under his belt.
For starters, I’ve never understood this “awakening” of the past decade or so by the masses, including those who play – or played – the sport, in regard to the dangers of football as the new-age enlightened deeming themselves as do-gooders or saviors spread their word as if it has come down from the heavens of “never uttered before.”
Excuse me, but shattered bones, mangled fingers, eviscerated knees, even concussions … these are new things?
They’ve been around since the sport started. Heck, they’ve been around since every sport started … and long before. Things, no matter what your walk of life or athletic skill level, happen. Whether you’re kicking a ball by yourself or being crunched by several 300-pound angry men, injuries, life-altering injuries, can happen.
My issue isn’t so much our new awareness, it’s that it ever was missing in the first place – or that people act that way. Or that it’s suggested info was withheld, keeping the lightbulb from going on.
For instance, it took Borland all those years playing youth football, high school football, college football and then his one season with the San Francisco 49ers to finally have it sink in that he, or anyone else, could sustain head trauma that possibly could impact the rest of his life? Not buying it. This is a guy who grew up in Ohio and played in the Big Ten. He knew the inherent risks, or at minimum was informed of them.
Even in my football-playing days from decades ago, kids were made aware of football’s violent quality and what havoc that could inflict on any individual, no matter how big or hard-headed they were. Doctors, teachers, parents, even coaches shared the warnings. They didn’t hold back. They didn’t sugar-coat things. Put it this way, few shared the beliefs of NFL-affiliated doc/nut job Joseph Maroon, who has labeled biking as more dangerous than football.
If anything, Borland’s decision embodies today’s almost knee-jerk adherence to trends. Indeed, three other NFL players under the age of 30 opted to retire as well this month, one potentially a Hall of Famer in Borland’s teammate and fellow linebacker, Patrick Willis.
Like him, it was their choice, their call. They had every right to walk away from the game – for whatever reason.
What concerns me, though, is that Borland likely just spent two-thirds of his life trying to create a career, and now that he has that career he ends it … due to fear – fear of something that may or may not happen, going off info he already had but obviously hadn’t had “trending” in his head until now.
- Mr. Jack Kerwin is the Director of Communications at the United States Sports Academy. He can be reached at jkerwin@ussa.edu.