OT/FC: Jim Plunkett on life after football: "My life sucks."

[BobPSU92]

See the link below. From the article:

"In an interview with Elliott Almond of the Bay Area News Group, Plunkett said his "life sucks" and it's "no fun being in this body right now. Everything hurts."

A former No. 1 overall pick by the New England Patriots in 1971, Plunkett is forced to regularly take 13 pills throughout the day for various health issues, including his heart and blood pressure, per Almond.

"There are a couple other drugs I take—I can’t know them all," Plunkett told Almond. "I’ve got to take them every day to quote-unquote survive.""

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...fe-sucks-lives-in-constant-pain-from-football

These stories will continue to come out and serve as a warning to aspiring football players. We already are seeing an increase in NFL players voluntarily retiring before the age of 30. Are we seeing the effect yet in youth leagues (reduced participation)?

 

[rudedude]

Football is a risky proposition, however, older players, like Plunkett, who played in the early 70's until the 80's, did not have the benefit of more advanced medical knowledge or surgery techniques. Plunkett is also 69 years old so stuff does start to wear out. Those older players sacrificed their bodies for way less $$$ than today's players. That being said, the $$$ in football pales in comparison to basketball and even baseball for the amount of physical punishment versus salary. Professional soccer players are the best paid athletes now, especially in the European professional leagues. Neymar was purchased by Paris St. Germain for $263 million and that does not include his yearly pay of $36 million!!! They have a smaller amount of injury risks and lifelong debilitating injuries than traditional football players. In the future, I think soccer will become more prevalent in the U.S. and tackle football will eventually fade away, but that won't be for a quite some time. $$$ always trumps the risk of life long debilitating injuries.

 

[Nittany Ziggy]

How many 69 year old boilermakers have to take pain/blood pressure/whatever medication? How about accountants? Welders? Some of these stories make it seem as if the rest of the population is training for marathons.

 

[Ranger Dan]

How many 69 year old boilermakers have to take pain/blood pressure/whatever medication? How about accountants? Welders? Some of these stories make it seem as if the rest of the population is training for marathons.

I was thinking the same thing, and it reminds me of something from Sports Center about 10 years ago. There was a report about an injury report for pro player (I forget the sport, but could have been NFL) and after he states that the player was "day to day", Stuart Scott added "aren't we all"... Of course, with the battle that Scott had against cancer, it may have been more true with him than most.

 

[razpsu]

When we were kids we asked what would you do for a million dollars. Playing football wasn't one of the Answers.

 

[Obliviax]

I am willing to bet he had a pretty cool first 40 years though.

I always think that the fates give you so many "life credits". You can earn more by eating right and exercising. You burn more up by smoking, carousing and womanizing. In the end, you use up your life credits and its over.

JP lived a great life. In the process, abused his body. Now, he regrets it. I'll bet he didn't when he was 40.