Jeff Herrod Article

[Fluke_33]

I didn't see this posted anywhere else but Zac Keefer has an excellent article on Jeff Herrod in the Athletic.

 

I think it was posted the morning of the Luck article and they two have an early similar issue discussed being injuries and copying with them.  Herrod took a very different path and is paying a steep price for it.   He would get concussions during games and kept smelling salts on him, during play, so he could remain in games.

The toughest of the tough in my book.

 

The article is here.  it is a paid site but i think they may have a free offer for a short time or something.

 

Jeff Herrod feels forgotten: ‘No one acknowledges the work we did’ - The Athletic:

https://theathletic.com/3927743/2022/12/06/jeff-herrod-colts-concussion/

 

 

It is really worth the read.

[RollerColt]

It's the dark truth about this sport. It can be very unforgiving. 

 

I keep thinking back to Derek Carr's press conference after losing to us.

 

Quote

"And for that to be the result of all that effort, pisses me off," he said. "Pisses a lot of guys off. It's hard, knowing what some guys are doing ... just to practice. What they're putting in their body just to sleep at night. Just so we can be there for each other. And I wish everybody in that room felt the same way about this place. And as a leader, that pisses me off, if I'm being honest."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35023590/derek-carr-fights-back-tears-podium-raiders-lose-colts

 

And now after reading Luck's article and Jeff's... It's just so tough to do what these guys are doing. They are potentially sacrificing their health in the future for the team, for the fans, for their cities. 

[chad72]

Anyone remember Ben Utecht, TE that played for us, and how he had to record things about his life so he won't forget? He went through a lot along the same lines too. His book is even on Amazon.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Counting-Days-While-Mind-Slips/dp/1501136607

 

[lollygagger8]

I sometimes wonder how Austin Collie is doing nowadays 

[chad72]

2 minutes ago, lollygagger8 said:

I sometimes wonder how Austin Collie is doing nowadays 

 

He got out early enough, I felt (hoping). He was working with an institute that was studying concussions. Even Kurt Warner and Ed Reed came out and said they wouldn't have their own kids play football past a point. 

[DougDew]

Jeff, people are naturally going to forget the work you did.  Sorry, you can't be someone's hero forever.   It only lasts about 15 years at most.

[Nickster]

28 minutes ago, lollygagger8 said:

I sometimes wonder how Austin Collie is doing nowadays 

Man that dude got hit hard. 

[Fluke_33]

I grew up in NY and the first player i read about with this was Al Toon, NYJ WR.   He just stayed in his basement with the lights off because of the headaches from playing.  It was really sad.

 

The one saving grace, if you can call it that, is these guys set their families up for generations.   Personally, I think i would suffer that for mine.  Easy to say of course.

[LJpalmbeacher2]

1 hour ago, RollerColt said:

It's the dark truth about this sport. It can be very unforgiving. 

 

I keep thinking back to Derek Carr's press conference after losing to us.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35023590/derek-carr-fights-back-tears-podium-raiders-lose-colts

 

And now after reading Luck's article and Jeff's... It's just so tough to do what these guys are doing. They are potentially sacrificing their health in the future for the team, for the fans, for their cities. 

 

Actually for many they are sacrificing their body for nothing more than a pay check if their teams aren't really in it to win it.....but their pay checks are usually huge so thats good at least. 

[LJpalmbeacher2]

1 hour ago, chad72 said:

 

He got out early enough, I felt (hoping). He was working with an institute that was studying concussions. Even Kurt Warner and Ed Reed came out and said they wouldn't have their own kids play football past a point. 

Obama said the same if he had boys.

[chad72]

Just now, LJpalmbeacher2 said:

Obama said the same if he had boys.

 

Yeah, you can live with bum knees/hips and replace those joints but there is only 1 brain and spine, not too much recourse once things start going downhill. 

[Indianapolis-Colts-Fan]

Yeah and they get paid to risk their bodies. 
 

no one feels sorry for the oil pipeline driller who risks his life every single day to make a fraction of what these guys make to play a game. That oil is used for these guys to fly to their games and make their millions. 
 

we all choose our paths in life. Don’t get is mixed up. These players aren’t playing out a sense of duty to anyone but themselves and their families. Just ask Kenny Moore. 

[ColtV]

2 hours ago, lollygagger8 said:

I sometimes wonder how Austin Collie is doing nowadays 

Dude that philly game! 

[Nesjan3]

Yea nowadays these people know what their signing up for and get paid insane amounts for it. Maybe not so much back in the day, but now they know the risk. I dont feel bad for them. They signed up. 

[crazycolt1]

3 hours ago, Nesjan3 said:

Yea nowadays these people know what their signing up for and get paid insane amounts for it. Maybe not so much back in the day, but now they know the risk. I dont feel bad for them. They signed up. 

No compassion is an ugly trait.

 

[Nesjan3]

18 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

No compassion is an ugly trait.

 

Why would I have compassion for people that get paid millions and millions of dollars to play a kids game, fully knowing the risk to the body and head that it involves. They are not being forced, they are doing it by choice. Just because I dont have compassion for football players doesnt mean I dont have compassion. I just choose where to place it. Dont paint with such a broad brush.

[Fluke_33]

58 minutes ago, Nesjan3 said:

Why would I have compassion for people that get paid millions and millions of dollars to play a kids game, fully knowing the risk to the body and head that it involves. They are not being forced, they are doing it by choice. Just because I dont have compassion for football players doesnt mean I dont have compassion. I just choose where to place it. Dont paint with such a broad brush.

Firemen that get burned.  Police men that get shot.  Military that get killed

 

they get paid and knew the risks

 

no compassion for any of them?

[Nesjan3]

2 minutes ago, Fluke_33 said:

Firemen that get burned.  Police men that get shot.  Military that get killed

 

they get paid and knew the risks

 

no compassion for any of them?

What an absolutely terrible comparison. Those people all do very important life changing jobs for a fraction of the pay. Please...

[Fluke_33]

6 minutes ago, Nesjan3 said:

What an absolutely terrible comparison. Those people all do very important life changing jobs for a fraction of the pay. Please...

I don’t know.  I have compassion for anyone that suffers. Just seeing where you draw the line 

[IndySouthsider]

2 hours ago, Nesjan3 said:

Why would I have compassion for people that get paid millions and millions of dollars to play a kids game, fully knowing the risk to the body and head that it involves. They are not being forced, they are doing it by choice. Just because I dont have compassion for football players doesnt mean I dont have compassion. I just choose where to place it. Dont paint with such a broad brush.

People like Jeff and older players did not know. And it’s also known there was a strong push from league to keep their player in the game.

[NewColtsFan]

4 hours ago, Nesjan3 said:

Why would I have compassion for people that get paid millions and millions of dollars to play a kids game, fully knowing the risk to the body and head that it involves. They are not being forced, they are doing it by choice. Just because I dont have compassion for football players doesnt mean I dont have compassion. I just choose where to place it. Dont paint with such a broad brush.

Because odds are guys like Jeff Herrod didn’t make millions and millions.   I think he played back when guys weren’t making crazy money.  
 

Also….   Herrod played 88 thru 98.  And much if what we know about long term health risks NOW were just not known back THEN.    If you read the article, the man appears to have no quality of life.   That’s a hard way to live.  

[Nesjan3]

16 hours ago, IndySouthsider said:

People like Jeff and older players did not know. And it’s also known there was a strong push from league to keep their player in the game.

 

14 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

Because odds are guys like Jeff Herrod didn’t make millions and millions.   I think he played back when guys weren’t making crazy money.  
 

Also….   Herrod played 88 thru 98.  And much if what we know about long term health risks NOW were just not known back THEN.    If you read the article, the man appears to have no quality of life.   That’s a hard way to live.  

I stated that in an earlier post. Back in the day, I feel for those guys. Didnt get paid that much, didnt have the knowledge of the risk we do now, and probably a lot more of the team telling you to play through injury. Nowadays though, its hard to feel bad for these multi millionaires who know what their signing up for.