Former NFL receiver Antwaan Randle El regrets ever playing football

[Merlin]

Everything comes with EFFING risk man. I'm so tired of whiny @$$ pro athletes who get treated like rockstars through college then get big bucks to play on the top stage along with fan adulation and all that goes with it act like they've been screwed over. Or cry about how broke they are like it's someone else's fault that they couldn't take care of their money.

There are dudes who roof houses for a living who can't walk. My neighbor had to quit doing construction due to his lungs being screwed up from some of the work sites he was on when he was a kid, the dude can barely breathe. I have friends and people who have worked for me in the Navy who are missing limbs or who can barely get a night's sleep due to combat trauma both mental and physical.

Life is TOUGH. Quit your godd@#! whining. Man that $h!# gets me worked up. Rant off.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Everything comes with EFFING risk man. I'm so tired of whiny @$$ pro athletes who get treated like rockstars through college then get big bucks to play on the top stage along with fan adulation and all that goes with it act like they've been screwed over. Or cry about how broke they are like it's someone else's fault that they couldn't take care of their money.

There are dudes who roof houses for a living who can't walk. My neighbor had to quit doing construction due to his lungs being screwed up from some of the work sites he was on when he was a kid, the dude can barely breathe. I have friends and people who have worked for me in the Navy who are missing limbs or who can barely get a night's sleep due to combat trauma both mental and physical.

Life is TOUGH. Quit your godd@#! whining. Man that $h!# gets me worked up. Rant off.

Yep.

 

[fearsomefour]

Everything comes with EFFING risk man. I'm so tired of whiny @$$ pro athletes who get treated like rockstars through college then get big bucks to play on the top stage along with fan adulation and all that goes with it act like they've been screwed over. Or cry about how broke they are like it's someone else's fault that they couldn't take care of their money.

There are dudes who roof houses for a living who can't walk. My neighbor had to quit doing construction due to his lungs being screwed up from some of the work sites he was on when he was a kid, the dude can barely breathe. I have friends and people who have worked for me in the Navy who are missing limbs or who can barely get a night's sleep due to combat trauma both mental and physical.

Life is TOUGH. Quit your godd@#! whining. Man that $h!# gets me worked up. Rant off.

Yes an no.
Most athletes don't get treated like anything but underpaid employees in college. Very few get drafted or make a dime of money ever playing sports. The the ones who do play pro ball at some level, most don't make millions....at least what public perception is.
The rest of the post I agree with. We all make decision in life....school, career path, moving to different cities, getting married, breaking up....it goes on and on.
The only thing I could say that would argue what you are saying is an employer has an obligation to provide a safe work environment ect. But I get what you're saying and generally agree. Most of the ex players, even ones having significant medical issues, most say they would play again.

 

[-X-]

I regret NOT playing in the NFL. I regret that my mangled leg in high school prevented me from getting a shot to have it get mangled on the biggest stage in the world. If it had happened that way, I wouldn't have any regrets. I would have accomplished what very few athletes have ever accomplished and what every athlete dreams of accomplishing. I would literally take a life of nagging pain to have been able to do that. And I'm sure Antwaan would feel the same way if he never got the shot to begin with.

 

[Merlin]

Yes an no.
Most athletes don't get treated like anything but underpaid employees in college. Very few get drafted or make a dime of money ever playing sports. The the ones who do play pro ball at some level, most don't make millions....at least what public perception is.
The rest of the post I agree with. We all make decision in life....school, career path, moving to different cities, getting married, breaking up....it goes on and on.
The only thing I could say that would argue what you are saying is an employer has an obligation to provide a safe work environment ect. But I get what you're saying and generally agree. Most of the ex players, even ones having significant medical issues, most say they would play again.

They play for the free ride brother. A free ride through college, an endless train of parties and high end tail, and a chance to play a game for a living when you graduate with a degree of your choice is not a bad deal, it's just that whiners want to make it sound that way.

At some point people like him are going to end up pulling down the use of NCAA football athletics as the NFL's unofficial minor league system. When that happens the athletes will get paid alright. But they'll be like baseball players making BS paychecks and riding beat down buses between cities and when they're done playing through the "minors" they won't have a degree to show for it. They also won't have the money to pay for a degree either.

 

[WvuIN02]

Being told of the risks is one thing so you can decide for yourself, but for Christ's sake the NFL **still** is not even acknowledging CTE is a real thing and have done everything to save their asses and keep the image intact. It's disgusting what Heir Goodell and his cronies will do to protect their collective asses.

And money is worthless if you cant live a happy life with it. Sorry but guys who go into the military etc DO know the risks, its not like the military is hiding that from them. Big distinction to make.

 

[fearsomefour]

They play for the free ride brother. A free ride through college, an endless train of parties and high end tail, and a chance to play a game for a living when you graduate with a degree of your choice is not a bad deal, it's just that whiners want to make it sound that way.

At some point people like him are going to end up pulling down the use of NCAA football athletics as the NFL's unofficial minor league system. When that happens the athletes will get paid alright. But they'll be like baseball players making BS paychecks and riding beat down buses between cities and when they're done playing through the "minors" they won't have a degree to show for it. They also won't have the money to pay for a degree either.

In regards to the college guys, the vast majority dont get full rides. A good percentage don't get any athletic scholarship money. A decent D1 program will have over 150 players in their program....no school is giving 100 + full rides or even partials. A guy like Randle El probably did. So, we are sort of talking about two different types of players. A guy who is getting his rear kissed and getting full ride offers ect. is not the average player in college by any stretch.
My son is playing college baseball. He received zero scholarship money (although he received one offer that was worth $8-10 K a year, but turned it down), at least to this point. His day starts in the weight room at 5:30 am and ends with post practice meetings (6 pm or so) and then a couple hours of mandatory study hall....so, a 14-15 hour day is not unusual. Not included in this is the time spent doing fund raising or extra work for the program along with behavioral rules that most students don't have to worry about. It is much the same for football players. Football will make money (as opposed to baseball) at many, many schools. This is why I say they are treated like under paid (non paid) employees as opposed to rock stars. Most of them do it (play sports while going to school) for the "right" reason....they love it. So it goes.
I am not making excuses for the entitled bad apples. I am not even speaking to the small percentage of guys who get a full ride....they are being paid basically, and depending on the school avoiding a whole boat load of debt. There are guys, probably a couple dozen in each major football program that fit the stereotype, but, it is not the norm.

 

[fearsomefour]

Being told of the risks is one thing so you can decide for yourself, but for Christ's sake the NFL **still** is not even acknowledging CTE is a real thing and have done everything to save their asses and keep the image intact. It's disgusting what Heir Goodell and his cronies will do to protect their collective asses.

And money is worthless if you cant live a happy life with it. Sorry but guys who go into the military etc DO know the risks, its not like the military is hiding that from them. Big distinction to make.

So, it is like someone taking a job in trucking or working on a fishing boat or whatever....a job with a high injury risk. They take the job knowing the risk, even getting education about possible injury risks....but, with that comes the assumption that the company is providing safe equipment, vehicles and training to keep them as save as possible. To my understanding the NFL surpassed the real injury risk and damage being done. This is the crime that has been committed. In my opinion anyway.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Being told of the risks is one thing so you can decide for yourself, but for Christ's sake the NFL **still** is not even acknowledging CTE is a real thing and have done everything to save their asses and keep the image intact. It's disgusting what Heir Goodell and his cronies will do to protect their collective asses.

And money is worthless if you cant live a happy life with it. Sorry but guys who go into the military etc DO know the risks, its not like the military is hiding that from them. Big distinction to make.

How wouldn't a person know the risks in football? How is it possible?

Anyway a couple of days later he said he was fine and the whole thing was overblown and that he loved playing football and would do it again.

.

 

[Tron]

I've gone through more pain from surgeries without ever playing sports, so I would love to go through that pain while playing football and having fun and potentially making millions(like Randle El). Players know the risks.

 

[WvuIN02]

How wouldn't a person know the risks in football? How is it possible?

Anyway a couple of days later he said he was fine and the whole thing was overblown and that he loved playing football and would do it again.

.

Because they dont know the risks.

I doubt most players right now know the dangers of CTE thanks to how hush hush the NFL has been over this issue, its only been with this latest movie that it has grabbed a tiny bit of headlines. I mean, the NFL just veto'd its 30 mil pledge for NIH funding because the lead doctor selected had been critical of the NFL -- even though he was approved by other peers and the leading experts in the field. I seriously doubt many players know of the CTE study that showed 95% of the brains donated of NFL players tested positive for the disease. Knowing you may never get to see your children grow up could change people's minds on their path.

And do you think the networks who make a fortune off the NFL are going to want those things being played on their networks either? In the end, I doubt most football players would avoid the NFL due to the money they can make, but there might be a small minority who would if they knew what they were getting themselves into. It would be like knowingly getting a prescription with serious side effects and having all that information be unavailable to the patient. Hell I only played football as a kid and looking back can remember plenty of concussions I had, where I was just told being woozy, seeing stars etc is fine it will go away.

To me, the implications are far more serious for the kids who never go play in the NFL, but might play through high school. We still dont know or wont know until studies are done on that age group, and if it comes out that kids are getting severe damage to the brain at a young age-- well that is when the ****storm will truly hit the masses.