1. Effects on body from an NFL hit Zach Troutman 6/3/11

2. What we see On any given Sunday afternoon in the fall most households across the United States are tuned into an NFL Football game. These games are full of hard, bone crushing hits that we see as entertainment and professionals doing their job. What we don’t see is the force behind the hit and the short and long term effects on the players bodies.

3. Concussions One of the most common effects on the body from a hit in the NFL is a concussion. A concussion is caused by a heavy blow to the head that causes the brain to rattle. This year the NFL added new rules and heavy fines to help cut back on this type of injury.

4. Concussions cont. Concussions can cause temporary loss of consciousness, dizziness, memory loss, brain damage, and in severe cases if not treated correctly death. Helmet-to-helmet hits are illegal in the NFL but still happen very frequently. This is when a player uses his head as a spear to hit their opponent in the head with. Football has been responsible for several deaths due to these type of hits. With new studies and treatments it is easier to treat a concussion, but the fact remains that with every hit the brain is rattles somewhat.

5. Paralysis One thing that can result from an NFL hit is paralysis. This can happen from a hit that compresses the spine. Usually this happens when a player leads with their head and the majority of the impact goes down to the players neck. The impact goes down the spine and compresses it and results in paralysis.

6. Head injury expert Kim Gorgens has calculated that the average football player receives 103 gs when hit during a game. Average g force for a fighter pilot is 9.

7. Average Career The average NFL career is about 3 years. This is due to the physicality and damage it does on your body on a daily basis. On top of head and neck injuries broken bones are extremely common. Broken collar bones and fingers are extremely common. Also knee damage and damage to joints is one all too familiar side effect of hits in the NFL.