By: Coco Xu
Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly retired from the National Football League (N.F.L.) in 2020 at the age of 28 due to concerns about his long-term health: Throughout his eight-year career, Kuechly endured three concussions. He now coaches twelve-year-olds in football with his former teammate Greg Olsen.
The N.F.L. has long been criticized for its concussion protocol: players who receive a blow to the head can return to play once symptoms have abated, even though concussion symptoms can return hours or days after the initial blow. Now, N.F.L. concussion policies have tightened. Spotters are situated at every game to watch for anyone who may be hurt, and injured players are benched until they recover.
In a phone interview with the New York Times, Kuechly said that “everybody understands the situation around T.B.I. [traumatic brain injury] and concussion in the head space.” This understanding is likely the result of an incident that occurred last year, where Miami Dolphins player Tua Tagovailoa was carted off the field due to a severe concussion that caused him to lose consciousness.
“You look at other guys, you learn from other guys,” said Kuechly, “you talk to a lot of guys — and that’s what you hear, is: ‘Hey, let yourself get better. Once you’re better, you can go back out there.’”
When asked about whether or not he was worried about his cognitive health, Kuechly responded: “I’m not worried about it, but I’m very aware of it. Since I’ve got done playing, I’ve read a lot. I’ve done a lot of homework. I’ve talked to a lot of people. I’m not worried about it, but I’m very aware of like, ‘Hey, there are certain things that you can do that are going to be beneficial and might as well take advantage of it.’”
“I think the biggest thing for me is healthy lifestyle,” he added. “Eat well, sleep well, exercise, be outside, have good relationships with people. Keep your mind active.”
When the parents of young N.F.L.-champion-wannabes walk up to Kuechly with concerns about the safety of the sport, Kuechly tells them to do what they think is best for their child.
“I just talk about the positives,” he said, “whether it’s what I’ve learned about toughness, how to fight through things, how to build relationships, the people that I’ve met through the game, the experiences I’ve had with the game.”