re: Tony Dorsett - "I signed up for this when, I guess, I started playing football"

I'm not going to steer my son away from the game because I think the culture has changed enough from when these guys got their concussions. Yeah, it's still a violent sport with risk of serious injury. I just think the risks are more manageable now that we have a better understanding of what we are dealing with.

When I was playing, hits that would be targeting today were celebrated. You rang someone's bell, and you knew you would get high fives and prime time spot in the film room even if the hit was in practice. Now, it's, "Nice going dumbass. You just cost us 15 yards and got yourself thrown out of the game." That should cut down on the number of hits likely to cause concussions.

With all of the media attention it's received, you're also a lot less likely to have an ignorant coach put a kid back in the game before he's recovered. I met our qb on the sideline during a game once, and he had a dazed look in his eyes. I asked if he was alright. He said, "I can't remember anything." I made sure he got to the trainer, but he didn't miss a snap in that game or all season. Apparently, he still remembered how to hand off to the tailback, and that was what really mattered.

I don't think that was uncommon at the time, but any coach today should know that if he's caught doing that, then he could end the kid's career and lose his job.