Concussions, dwindling attendance, and lack of TV viewership are all on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's mind. This tops them all.

In a Division II game played on Saturday between Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Kingsville, tragedy struck. Sophomore cornerback, Robert Grays made what was described as a routine tackle. On the play, Grays suffered an injury to his neck and passed away, Tuesday, as a result of the injury. He was 19 years old.

Midwestern State Interim Athletic Director, Kyle Williams said, "He's made this tackle hundreds of times, but it was just one of those situations that landed wrong. It was traumatic for all of us, particularly the football players. As a campus, we are thinking about him every day."

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has taken every precaution they can think of to improve player safety. Both the NFL and College games have a popup medical tent on each sideline and players are going through concussion protocol on anything that resembles a big hit to the head area. After Viking player Korey Stringer passed away during training camp in 2001, major changes happened in the sport when it comes to hydration, team doctors on at all times, and making shade readily available. There has been a decline in parents letting their children play youth football due to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) that has been found in athletes. But if a player dies on the field, the backlash would be catastrophic for the sport of football.

 

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