A survey about the impact of concussions among pro football players found that 76 of 125 (61%) former NFLers said that they "have at least one mental health symptom that could be related to concussions," according to Matt Crossman in the second part of weeklong feature on NFL concussions for SPORTING NEWS. The second entry in Sporting News' five-part special report is titled, "Am I Next?" Of those surveyed, 85 (68%) said that they are "afraid they will degrade mentally -- or that they have already started to," while 19 players who reported no symptoms "still worry about their mental health going forward." Crossman writes, "For many, the answer is a chilling yes." Pro Football HOFer Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher, said that at age 43, he "doesn’t have any symptoms -- yet." Smith: “Knowing what has started to come out in terms of the evidence of guys having mental issues right now, it concerns me, especially when you've carried the football more than anybody in the National Football League and have more yardage than anybody in the National Football League. That means I probably got hit more than anyone in the National Football League, so why shouldn't I be concerned?” (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 8/21). In Minneapolis, Chip Scoggins writes under the header, "NFL And Pain: Pain Doesn't Stop With Retirement." Scoggins' piece is the final entry in a three-day feature that examined "how NFL players cope with the pain that is inherent in their profession" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 8/21).
