Chris Borland is "ecstatic" as an intern after retiring his rookie season

[nctarheel0619]

 

What Borland is doing now has nothing to do with CTE or head trauma. But the center tries to destigmatize mental illness, which is something Borland believes NFL players can relate to given some of their post-career health issues. And his work in an office, while new to him, is the kind of thing he previously missed out on wholly while preparing for life in the NFL.

After his second day as an intern, Borland drove past a football field where a high school practice was happening. He stopped and watched — not out of nostalgia for what he had given up, but out of concern for the players who were crashing helmet after helmet into each other.

“It’s just unnecessary,” Borland told the Post. “I think you can teach technique and scheme and everything without hitting your helmets together.”

Borland misses the camaraderie of the game. But he's not second-guessing his decision to walk away at 23 after one season.

“Intellectually, I know it’s a sound decision,” Borland said. “So I don’t regret that. More information has come out since I walked away that kind of reaffirmed my decision.”

And now Borland has become something of a sounding board for other players who are weighing the same difficult decision, having heard from "six to 10" who are at a crossroads in their careers. That included two who were close to making a decision to retire or keep on playing despite the risks. Borland said he merely tried to present his own experiences and knowledge as it related to his own decision.

“I don’t think they were necessarily at a point where they were asking me to help them make their final decision,” Borland said. “But [it was] more of, ‘Hey, where did you go? What have you learned?’ Things like that.”

The NFL has come a long way on its safety measures in recent years out of necessity, and its measures to make the game safer from the bottom — such as the "Heads Up" program — on up have been notable. But is it enough? It's hard to imagine the NFL being able to eliminate all risk, and certainly not without lessening the product. In addition, some have speculated that the rule changes to better protect players might hurt the league's popularity. But Borland takes a pass on addressing that issue.

“That’s above my pay grade,” Borland said. “I’m just an intern.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/chris-borland-happy-now-as-intern-after-giving-up-career-in-nfl-174435823.html

[vorbis]

good for him

[ecu88]

Pretty simple math. Heads up = awareness. Heads down = no awareness. 

Proper techniques is one way in reduction. Also penalties against knee/head by having players temporarily banned then go through a training session and once finally signed/reviewed for approval then the player can rejoin the team. Final, helmet design. What design optimizes safety?

[Servant of Cthululelei]

9 minutes ago, ecu88 said:

Pretty simple math. Heads up = awareness. Heads down = no awareness. 

Proper techniques is one way in reduction. Also penalties against knee/head by having players temporarily banned then go through a training session and once finally signed/reviewed for approval then the player can rejoin the team. Final, helmet design. What design optimizes safety?

Finally, a question worthy of the Huddle.  Let's put our heads together boys (but not too hard, of course), I think we can figure this poo out.

[tiger7_88]

His degree had to have been in some sort of mental health discipline, right?

Or is he just data entry?

[Saca312]

54 minutes ago, ecu88 said:

Final, helmet design. What design optimizes safety?

Heard there are already some helmets out there that do a real good job at preventing concussions, and would reduce the concussion rate drastically. But I also heard that they crumple on impact, so there's that factor too.

[ecu88]

22 minutes ago, Saca312 said:

Heard there are already some helmets out there that do a real good job at preventing concussions, and would reduce the concussion rate drastically. But I also heard that they crumple on impact, so there's that factor too.

Sounds like our vehicles of today. Crumple and fall apart upon impact to bring a minimum harm for the driver and passengers as the force is diverted away.

[ecu88]

1 hour ago, Servant of Cthululelei said:

Finally, a question worthy of the Huddle.  Let's put our heads together boys (but not too hard, of course), I think we can figure this poo out.

Bubble wrap ftw!

[The Huddler]

What a pussy. Youre going to die anyway and put in a box like everyone else. Get the fug out there and do something people dream of doing. 

[tondi]

Everybody is thrilled after the second day.  Ask him in 40 years if working his nuts off for chump change was worth not playing another 4-5 years and then doing whatever the fug he wanted for the rest of his life.

[motocross_cat]

He will regret this for the rest of his life.

[csx]

2 hours ago, The Huddler said:

What a pussy. Youre going to die anyway and put in a box like everyone else. Get the fug out there and do something people dream of doing. 

We see you have fulfilled your dream of brain damage already.

[Fox007]

Take in your 5 mins while you can...coulda had 5 or more years of fame but sure...intern and all dat.