Count Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman as one NFL player who hasn’t changed his opinion about the game he plays as he’s learned more about the risks of concussions.
Sherman told GQ that he hasn’t changed his approach and would love to see his son play football if he wants to.
“It doesn’t change the way I play,” Sherman said. “I’ve always tried to tackle with the best form, and not try to always get people down on the ground without using my head. But it doesn’t change the way I think about the game or how I feel about my kids playing the game. I feel like this game has given me a lot more than its taken. It obviously takes a toll on your body and you understand the risks going into it, but you also have to understand that it’s taught me discipline, hard work, teamwork, being dependable, being available, how to be a leader, how to work past adversity. Just so many things that you use in your everyday life. And you can’t take that for granted. So maybe my son doesn’t end up being a professional athlete, maybe he never even plays a sport, but I wouldn’t hold him back from something that’s been so great to me.”
At a time when some players are retiring early and citing concussions as the reason, Sherman’s view still seems to be the majority opinion about NFL players: There are risks associated with playing football, but the risks are outweighed by the rewards.
