The NFL, Injuries, and the "D-Word"

Bernard Pollard plays safety for the Baltimore Ravens. He plays the game hard. Sometimes, his hits injure players. When they are stars, such as New England Patriot quarterback Tom Brady, people take notice and wonder if his style goes beyond whatever passes for an unspoken, but well-known rule among players and coaches.

Pollard also articulates the darker side of what violence means for the NFL and its entertainment "values." (Many years ago, former Oakland Raider and TV football star John Madden, when asked what fans liked about pro football, unequivocally and immediately said "the violence.") Well, suppose the "action" gets kicked up a notch. What would happen? During a pre-Super Bowl interview with cbssports.com, the Ravens safety used the D-word.

Detroit Lion player Chuck Hughes
Oct. 24, 1971.
(photo: corbisimages.com)

"'I hope I'm wrong,'" Pollard toward interviewer Clark Judge, "'but I just believe one day there's going to be a death that takes place on the field because of the direction we're going.'"

Players understand that pro football is a dangerous way to make a living. Frightening injuries are commonplace during a game. The dark shadow that crosses their collective mind is paralysis. It has happened in the NFL, notably to Dennis Byrd of the New York Jets and Darryl Stingley of the New England Patriots. A player on the Detroit Lions, Chuck Hughes, died on the field, but due to a heart attack and not from any immediate physical contact.

Pollard's grim question is simple: who will be the first NFL player to die from game-day contact?