Bo Jackson has a unique take on concussions and the NFL. In recent years, the general public has evolved when it comes to the effects of repeated concussions on athletes. If some legends had this information a few decades ago, they might have chosen a different career path. Jackson falls in this category.
The baseball and football player counts himself among the lucky ones, who were able to leave the game without head-related issues. In a new interview with The MMQB, the 1985 Heisman Trophy winner takes a fresh, and a close look at head injuries and the problems they are causing for retired players. The 53-year-old Alabama native stated:
“I am one of the fortunate ones. I don’t think anyone who has ever strapped on the helmet and shoulder pads hasn’t had their bell rung. I had my bell rung once. It’s not anything to play with, now I know that. I went and watched the movie [Concussion] and there were people I knew, that I was friends with, that were gone that I didn’t even know they were gone.”
Those discoveries have changed his views on football. Jackson shared:
“If I had young kids, to be honest, and if they came and said, Dad, I want to play football, I’d smack them in the mouth. No. No. Because if I’d have known back then what I know now, to be honest with you, I probably would have taken a different path. I probably just would have played baseball.”
Jackson’s comments have reignited the debate on concussions, but no one really knows in which direction all of this will go. Retirees like Bart Scott and Harry Carson have also expressed similar sentiments. They all said that they would not be happy if their young relatives chose to play football at a professional level.
Jackson is an All-Star in two major sports. This is a huge accomplishment. His career in the NFL (four seasons) was cut short by a hip injury in 1991.