Document text
1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Mercy Flights regains Josephine County main-provider status Klamath Basin farmers and wildlife facing water shortages 6 shorts worth seeing at this year's Ashland Independent Film Festival A missile in his backyard: Vietnam veteran in Medford builds replica of MIM-23 Hawk Talk will delve into history of Highway 99 Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Burglar praised in Jackson County courtroom for turning life around Grand jury meets today on officer-involved fatal shooting in Medford Hosler Dam is not, repeat NOT, about to collapse Emergency services Eagle Point school district violated union members' constitutional rights, federal judge says Politics and Elections Former state Senate President Brady Adams dies Arthur I. Cyr: Afghanistan progress is uneven but undeniable Jackson County Commissioners plan no tax on marijuana for one year Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US Education Shumate says initiatives will require reserve spending Eagle Point school district violated union members' constitutional rights, federal judge says SOU celebrates Arbor Day early with awards and talks SOU student's play heads to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Medford School Board OKs disputed AP U.S. history textbook Environment Forum looks at Crater Lake wilderness proposal A place to play Rare Brewer spruce joins heritage list A sea-foam change Rogue Valley lions on their way to California State News Feds to consider endangered species listing for spotted owl Central Oregon covered bridge ruined by careless driver Oregon Senate bill limits suspensions, expulsions Log dwelling may be Oregon's oldest known structure Oregon committee advances bill expanding gun-sale background checks Nation - World Tsarnaev convicted on all charges in Boston Marathon bombing Tsarnaev convicted on all charges in Boston Marathon bombing Obituaries Lawrence R. Hugo III Death Notices Michele Kristine Niemeyer Gordon Geeseman Roland Jay Washburn Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Sports Latest Stories Commentary: Who is this passing himself off as Tiger? Brent St. Germain: Baseball’s intriguing teams Setzer, Tago head all-state honors GP edges South in battle of unbeatens Leonard, Spurs roll past Thunder Varsity 541 College Sports Perfect 10: UConn’s Auriemma joins Wooden Oregon defense building identity A lasting impact UConn, Notre Dame set for title rematch Wooden-recipient Miles enjoys Final Four trip Pro Sports Leonard, Spurs roll past Thunder Defense attorney: Ex-NFL star witnessed killing Ready or not? Short-handed Blazers fall to Nets Woods draws crowd in practice Community Sports Business Latest Stories Lithia Motors shares break the $100 mark Quick pitches give way to Angels & Entrepreneurs conference Ride & Drive: 2016 Mazda CX-5 Cars We Remember: Car lover knows his 348/409 engines Silvio Calabi: Scion tC style hides its utility Real Estate News Jackson County median home price hits $215,000 in first quarter East McAndrews Road sees a resurgence in commercial projects People In Business People in Business, March 26, 2015 Transportation Lithia Motors shares break the $100 mark Road to health: Bike and pedestrian paths play greater role in transportation project funding Rogue Disposal plans natural gas fueling site Alaska, United Express boost Medford airport to record February Agriculture Broth maker leaves San Diego for Medford Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, April 8 Our View: Cheers and jeers Kathleen Parker: 'The Residence': revenge of the help Guest Opinion: Pot opponents have good reason for concern Our View: No easy answers to Mexican refugee influx Editorials Our View: Cheers and jeers Our View: No easy answers to Mexican refugee influx Our View: State income tax sharing run amok Other Views: Rethink gillnet ban on the Columbia Our View: Local water supplies are not unlimited Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, April 8 Letters to the Editor, April 7 Letters to the Editor, April 6 Letters to the Editor, April 5 Letters to the Editor, April 3 Columns Kathleen Parker: 'The Residence': revenge of the help Guest Opinion: Pot opponents have good reason for concern Kathleen Parker: Born-again parenting Dana Milbank: Bob Menendez should resign Guest Opinion: If Courtney kills bill, $15 minimum wage will go to the ballot Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Pot opponents have good reason for concern Guest Opinion: If Courtney kills bill, $15 minimum wage will go to the ballot Guest Opinion: Phoenix embraces Bee City USA designation Guest Opinion: Marijuana offers Oregon benefits, drawbacks Guest Opinion: How to end the influence of money in elections Lifestyle Latest stories 5 Things to See at Pear Blossom 2015 Season Stepp: Try farmer’s market sunchoke in a creamy potato soup Community blog: Wildlife Services in Jackson County: Hired to Kill our Wildlife Garden Cameos: Good soil foundation of fabulous garden Page H. Onorato: Bringing spring to the dinner table Food Season Stepp: Try farmer’s market sunchoke in a creamy potato soup Page H. Onorato: Bringing spring to the dinner table Tammy Kelly: Asparagus is in season Power of 5 Community blog: Give Easter ham the egg treatment in sandwiches Home and Garden Garden Cameos: Good soil foundation of fabulous garden Ceramic tile: How it’s made and what’s new Dear Monty: How real estate relocation companies work Paul Rogers: Yard damage may not be as bad as it looks Home Help: 3 things to avoid when renovating your kitchen Health Your Mental Health: My husband denies he has PTSD Health Watch: Work out like a pro athlete Brent St. Germain: Feeling the burn again HealthStyle: Normal anxiety or anxiety disorder? Community blog: How to Get Rid of a Tension Headache Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs: Friday, April 3 Religion briefs: Friday, March 27 Religion briefs Religion News: Presbyterian Church gives approval on same-sex marriage Religion briefs: Friday, March 13 Milestones and Achievements Haga-Parks Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories 2015 Pear Blossom Festival kicks off in Medford OCT stages 'The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)' Ashland Independent Film Festival announces 2015 lineup Gene Burnett tonight at Liquid Assets in Ashland Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Theater OCT stages 'The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)' Auditions for youth musical set at Camelot Review: From past into present in OSF's 'Long Day's Journey' ‘A Dream of Red Pavilions’ at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Review: Education and its discontents Music Gene Burnett tonight at Liquid Assets in Ashland The Farr Side: No Zayn Malik? One Direction stays the course Elias String Quartet plays at Southern Oregon University Bluegrass band Siskiyou Summit plays Bell Fiore Winery Oregon Old-Time Fiddlers at the Ashland Community Center Community Events 2015 Pear Blossom Festival kicks off in Medford Ashland Independent Film Festival announces 2015 lineup Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival MailTribune.com rolls out new calendar Easter egg hunts are a long-standing tradition in the Rogue Valley Dining RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS: Sunday, April 5 The Laughing Clam in Grants Pass offers seafood-heavy menu Standing Stone owners to open Medford brewpub and restaurant Restaurant Inspections: March 29 Basque-inspired cuisine at Eleven in Ashland Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Mercy Flights regains Josephine County main-provider status ... Klamath Basin farmers and wildlife facing water shortages ... 6 shorts worth seeing at this year's Ashland Independent Film Festival ... Mercy Flights regains Josephine County main-provider status ... Klamath Basin farmers and wildlife facing water shortages ... 6 shorts worth seeing at this year's Ashland Independent Film Festival ... COLLEGE FOOTBALL Healthy choice Football players must weigh the sports risks with the rewards Comment By Ryan Thorburn Eugene Register-Guard MailTribune.com By Ryan Thorburn Eugene Register-Guard Posted Apr. 5, 2015 at 5:13 PM By Ryan Thorburn Eugene Register-Guard Posted Apr. 5, 2015 at 5:13 PM » Social News EUGENE — If football came with a warning label, it might read something like this: Playing this sport may cause bodily harm and injuries, such as sprains (most common to ankles and knees), fractures (most common to fingers, wrists and legs), turf toe, Achilles tendon rupture, torn anterior cruciate ligaments, severed spinal cord and concussions. Possible long-term effects include debilitating joint pain, impairment of brain functions, confusion, cognitive memory loss, paralysis, erratic behavior, depression, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (an Alzheimer’s-like condition caused by repeated blows to the head) and, in some cases, death. Players of this generation are paying serious attention to the risks involved in America’s most popular sport and weighing those hazards against the enticing rewards of participation at the game’s highest levels. “No one got hurt when I played,” said Oregon secondary coach John Neal, who played at BYU (1977-79), with a laugh. “I played with four broken bones in my hand. I played with injuries, but it was different back then. I hope as we evolve, we get smarter and we don’t do dumb things based on winning and losing games. Life is a lot more precious than that.” Recently, several NFL standouts — including 24-year-old San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland — have come to the same realization, walking away from lucrative seven-figure salaries because of concern for their mental and physical well-being. “I just want to live a long, healthy life, and I don’t want to have any neurological diseases or die younger than I would otherwise,” Borland told ESPN. After Oregon’s wildly successful 2014 season, two members of the team, defensive lineman Sam Kamp and offensive lineman Andre Yruretagoyena, decided to retire from football with a year of eligibility remaining. Kamp remained focused on playing his best football during the Ducks’ run to the College Football Playoff, finishing the campaign with 20 tackles, including three for loss and a quarterback sack. After giving the issue deliberate thought and having conversations with his family, he opted to hang up the cleats because of health concerns. It was, literally, a weighty decision for Kamp, whose frame carried 297 pounds at his heaviest last season. Since Oregon’s loss to Ohio State in the national championship game on Jan. 12, the 6-foot-4 senior said he has lost about 50 pounds, which puts him closer to his weight coming out of high school. “I decided based on concerns over my long-term health. I had a realization that my weight gain was affecting my hormones and mood, as well as causing pain in my neck, my back, wrists and knees,” Kamp wrote in an email. “I always considered football as a means for paying college tuition without taking on any debts. My parents, just like most of the scholarship players on the team, could never afford to help me pay for college. So I am very proud that I will graduate as a double major in June, and I have paid more than a fair price for my education. “Another year of free education would not have been worth the potential risk factors of getting concussions or furthering the pain and injury my body has taken.” Yruretagoyena, who entered the 2014 season as the starting right tackle before suffering a serious lower-leg injury against Michigan State, decided to leave the program for “personal reasons.” In a UO press release, the 6-5, 290-pound senior said he wanted to “focus on getting (his) body healthy and graduating.” Although both Kamp and Yruretagoyena would have been key cogs in their respective rotations at the line of scrimmage, teammates said they respect and support the players’ decision to step away from the game. “It kind of hit me out of nowhere,” sophomore right tackle Tyrell Crosby said of Yruretagoyena’s retirement. “That’s his decision, and he did it for his future. I understand completely why and I still love the dude like a brother.” Oregon left tackle Tyler Johnstone, one of Yruretagoyena’s best friends and roommates, did not play last season because of a torn ACL. He has been playing football since he was 8 years old and plans to lead the Ducks’ offensive line this fall with the hope of playing in the NFL. “Life is short, and a lot of guys want to do other things than football at some point. A lot of research is coming out about life expectancies, football player (life) expectancies, later on in life how it is on your body when you’re older, guys only 60 walking around with walkers and things like that,” Johnstone said. “It’s just a brutal game for your body, and I think a lot of guys are starting to realize that and move on early. … I just love the game and I try not to think about it too much. Honestly, that’s all it really comes down to. If you don’t love the game enough to keep playing and you don’t think it’s worth it, for sure, move on and do something else. “For me, I love the game, I love the camaraderie that comes with being a part of a team and I’m going to stick around for as long as I possibly can.” According to Harvard University researchers working with the NFL Players Association to study treatment and prevention of broad-ranging health issues related to the sport, professional football players have life expectancies in the mid- to late-50s. White men in the United States live to age 78 on average and African-American men to about 70. A 2009 Sports Illustrated study said that 78 percent of NFL retirees had experienced bankruptcy or were under “financial stress” because of joblessness or divorce. More than 100 concussion-related lawsuits have been filed against the league, mostly by former players who are struggling later in life. “It shocks people to hear that I did not have NFL aspirations because they don’t understand that with all the money and fame the NFL can give players, there are drawbacks to the NFL that money can never match up against,” Kamp said. On the long and painful road to the national title game, the Ducks overcame at least 78 missed games by injured players. Just on the offensive line, there were a combined 34 games missed, with accomplished tackle Jake Fisher and all-American center Hroniss Grasu joining Johnstone and Yruretagoyena in the training room at times. At least 19 key players sat out a game during the 2014 season. Wide receiver Devon Allen (knee), tight end Pharaoh Brown (leg) and cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (ACL) celebrated the Rose Bowl victory over Florida State on crutches. “You have to be passionate about the sport. Health concerns are a very serious thing. Everyone just needs to weigh what their own feelings are on the subject,” said senior offensive tackle Matt Pierson, who joined the program as a walk-on and earned a scholarship after filling in admirably for injured players last season. “We have a fantastic training staff. They provide the best care you can get and they take great care of us. It’s a very personal decision, and I’m sure (Kamp and Yruretagoyena) had their reasons.” Third-year Oregon coach Mark Helfrich and his coaching staff study every aspect of the program and look for ways to improve it. This self-audit included a closer look at injuries this offseason. “There’s a pretty impressive database that we’re trying to compile conference-wide of everything — cleat, temperature, surface, action, collision, injury — every variable that you can maybe narrow (injuries) down to something,” Helfrich said after national signing day in February. “How we train both from a training perspective on the field and the weight room, all those things will come into play, and that’s absolutely something that will be ongoing.” Jim Radcliffe, Oregon’s strength and conditioning coach, has a national reputation of being ahead of the curve on nutrition and training for athletes. “I’ve been blessed to stay pretty healthy, other than little things here or there. I consider a broken foot a little thing in the grand scheme of things,” senior linebacker Tyson Coleman said. “I always do extra stuff to stay healthy. I started doing yoga to stay flexible, so maybe I can avoid some of the things when you’re tired, that’s usually when you do get hurt.” Players said Helfrich did his best to keep their bodies fresh during an unprecedented 15-game schedule, tapering the physical contact in practices and focusing more on the mental aspects of the game as the season wore on. “Spring ball used to be unlimited practices, and you started banging from the minute you stepped on the field. You had more numbers,” said longtime Oregon offensive line coach Steve Greatwood, who also played for the Ducks (1977-79). “Obviously, everyone is more conscious about the safety issues, the concussion issues, just the wear and tear on the body. I’m much more conscious now than I was 30, 35 years ago when I first started coaching about just how much you can put a kid through.” The bottom line: Football has never been more popular. The College Football Playoff semifinals were the two most-watched broadcasts in the history of cable television. The Pac-12 and other major conferences, bolstered by unprecedented media rights deals, passed legislation at the NCAA convention which included a full cost-of-attendance measure for student-athletes. Beginning in 2016-17, Oregon and the other Pac-12 member institutions will guarantee athletic scholarships for four years for student-athletes in all sports and medical expenses for student-athletes who are injured during their college athletic careers will be covered for up to four years after they leave the institution. There are plenty of young athletes willing to take on the risks of playing football to chase the rewards of a free college education and, for some, high-paying job opportunities in the NFL. “You’re not going to keep people from skydiving or going downhill skiing,” Neal said. “You’re not going to keep Lindsey Vonn from wanting to win a 10th world championship. She’s probably had 10 knee surgeries. People that achieve at high levels understand that there’s pain involved and sacrifice. Race car drivers know every turn is death. You can’t think about it. If you want to be good at something, there are risks.” Is early retirement from football by players in their prime a trend that could jeopardize the future of the sport? Only time will tell. “I don’t want my son to play, but my dad didn’t want me to play either,” Kamp said. “I begged, pleaded and eventually convinced him, so I hope I am strong enough to be firm.” By Ryan Thorburn Eugene Register-Guard MailTribune.com By Ryan Thorburn Eugene Register-Guard Posted Apr. 5, 2015 at 5:13 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. fantasy football Biggest Fantasy Winners, Losers in Free Agency Apr. 8, 2015 at 2:45 am Fantasy Football Outlook for Bears Stars Apr. 7, 2015 at 1:09 am RBs Ready to Break Out on New Teams Apr. 2, 2015 at 10:21 am Who Will Be QB1s with New Teams in 2015? Mar. 31, 2015 at 3:42 pm Fantasy Football Outlook for Bengals Stars Mar. 27, 2015 at 9:59 am Things DFS Players Should Never, Ever Do Mar. 25, 2015 at 8:31 am calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501