A lot of players get injured during football games and they want to continue playing but the coaches tell them one thing, no. Dealing with injuries, and being kept away from the game is very difficult for players.

Two Del Campo athletes, sophomore, Riley Cochran-Hernandez (#10) and freshman, Mason Srch (#50) both suffered from injuries and had to sit on the sideline.

During Del Campo’s game against Davis High School, Cochran-Hernandez was up against some corners the whole time who kept diving at his knees and chest. When a someone keeps diving at the chest there is one area that is most vulnerable, the sternum. When a player gets a helmet to the sternum it’s going to hurt badly. Eventually Cochran-Hernandez got a helmet to the sternum and fell to the ground in pain. He got rushed to the hospital during the fourth quarter but everything turned out fine. He was able to return next game but he did have to miss a couple practices.

However, Srch was not so lucky. In the first quarter of the Davis game he hit someone and then started to notice he could barely move his shoulder. He thought nothing about it until after the game when he discovered he had fractured it. Srch won’t be back for the rest of the season and won’t play until next year. Srch loves this sport and was devastated that he could not play his favorite sport again during his freshman year.

Injuries do not happen only to high school players, they happen to players at all levels of the sport.

Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin is a name that gets brought up a lot when talking about injured players. During a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Hamlin went in for a hit, got up, and just collapsed. The reason Hamlin collapsed was due to Commotio Cordis which is a rare event that happens when you get hit in the chest by the extreme force. But some players are not as lucky as Hamlin. Bo Jackson received a severe hip injury that ended his career after only three years. According to the NFL, at the end of the 2022 season, during playoffs there were 50 players out with injuries that would keep them from playing another game. 

Injuries to football players is a serious issue but more precautions are being taken to protect athletes. The NFL is also giving help to players. They are requiring all players to wear knee and elbow pads during games and practices and during practices they are making all players wear guardian caps so the probability of getting a concussion is lower. High schools are also requiring players to wear guardian caps during practice, but they are not making players wear any other special protection during games. 

Many players who get injured do not know if they can play the game again. They may be fully healed but may not have the heart to play again, or they might not be able to physically play the game any longer. It takes a lot of mental and physical strength to get back in the game after an injury. However, today more is being done to prevent injuries so players can keep playing the game that makes them happy.