Walter Thurmond

[Seahawks4Ever]

Walter Thurmond has retired at the age of 28, he has retired after coming off his best season where he played in all 16 regular season games for the first time in his career. He has retired even though he was a free agent who was in high demand and was due a very good pay day.

Was it injuries? Not exactly, it was his fear of brain injuries from concussions. I can't say as I blame him, who wants to ruin their brain playing a game, no amount of money is worth it.

Walter, a founding member of the LOB, has long term plans of what he wants to do now that his football career is over. Those plans have to do with film and video production and one needs to have full use of their brains to do this.

Thurmond is only the latest and one of the youngest players to retire rather than risk further injury to their brains. I have to wonder, if this becomes a trend how will that affect the NFL and the talent level. What is going to be the long term prognosis to Pro football, college football, and high school football if more and more parents refuse to allow their sons to play Pee Wee and Pop Warner football. It won't happen over night but over the next 25 years the talent level could drop.

If enough of the more talented kids start to play other sports rather the football how will that affect a sport we have come to love?? My wish is that an adequate helmet will be developed that will greatly reduce and almost eliminate the threat of concussions. The last thing anyone wants to see is a mass exodus from pro football.

I see Bret Favre on commercials touting a copper threaded back brace and he mentions the beating he took while playing in the NFL. How long will it be until he is like John McMahon and he has very little memory of his past glory? That would be sad, to have little or no memory of much of your life.

[curmudgeon]

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What's my name again?? John, Pluto, Rozelle??....

[burrrton]

Is McMahon really that bad off? I haven't paid attention- I hope the guy's OK.

He only took hits when a defender was fortunate enough to get to him, too.

[obiken]

I wonder though guys all the unnecessary head butting with his lineman, not to mention all the hits like the one by Martin, how much was football, and how much was self induced.