Lions’ Levy Looks Forward, While Former Lion Scroggins Looks Back

Detroit Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy is probably the most underrated player in the National Football League since being drafted in the third round of the 2009 draft. He is the consummate outside linebacker, who can play the run, rush the passer and cover running backs out of the backfield.

 However, after missing almost all of last season with a hip injury, and gathering more information about the health risks of playing professional football, Levy is coming to some realizations. Recently, he shared his thoughts with The Detroit Free Press regarding football, CTE, and the health risks that come with the sport. I think Levy represents a new generation of NFL player that is going to be more concerned about their long term health. It is a thoughtful prose that gives us some of the inner thoughts of a professional football player in this new day of the NFL (in regards to health concerns).

“Being sidelined last year gave me a little different perspective, as opposed to when I’m playing. I get locked in and tune everything else out in the midst of the season. The last thing I want to think about while preparing or playing in a game is potential brain damage.

“This last year, I had a lot of hours in the training room and realized how normal injury is to us, as football players. I think about how we’re almost numb to it because it’s a part of the job. I became numb to the fact that CTE could be present in me. Like maybe my head buzzing a day after a game isn’t normal.

“Maybe the emotional highs and lows of a football game/season and beyond aren’t normal. Maybe when I forget something, there’s more to it than just forgetfulness. Disconnected thoughts, at times, might be a part of it. I know of and have heard many players talk about these same issues and if they relate to CTE.

“I think we, as players, have to acknowledge it and talk about it in a real way and demand answers. And talk about it now. I’ve heard people say they wouldn’t let their kids play football; that says a lot about what current players think and feel about the safety of football. Compensation isn’t an excuse to hide or downplay the facts. We need to know the risks and the rewards. This is an area in which the league has failed its players.”

Linked is the full text of DeAndre Levy’s open letter.

Levy certainly hopes he doesn’t have the problems after his career that former defensive end Tracy Scroggins, a former second round draft pick in 1992, who played 10 years in the NFL. Scroggins has filed suit against the NFL for racketeering in Florida, said he suffered multiple concussions during his career that were improperly treated. Scroggins currently lives in Florida, and has health issues that he says prohibits him from working, or even living a normal life. “My social life is next to non-existent,” he told the Detroit News.

Linked: Tracy Scroggins struggles.