Leroy Hoard and what continued collisions to the head can do

Sad, sad, sad.

What a dear, sweet guy Leroy Hoard is.  I loved him in A2, but after seeing that I love him even more.  I hope and pray he stays healthy and happy.  

I wouldn't wish his set of problems on anyone.  

Leroy, if you read this board, we are here for you. Say the word and you have a couple thousand people here to help.    

for posting this.  

Powerful stuff.  Especially when he and his wife comment that it will likely only get worse.  She states that she knows she will end up as his "caregiver."  Then he says that all he can do is "apologize in advance."  Chilling.

The NFL has to come up with health care for these guys.  I get that they made good money for awhile.  It looked like Leroy has a nice house, etc.  However, he couldn't hold a job b/c of neck and back pain and now he has this memory loss w/o health insurance.  Is he supposed to brankrupt himself seeking medical treatment?  How many of these guys set aside the money necessary to deal with that kind of a condition?  

As part of my job I have to understand the costs of retiree health care.  I am fully aware that the costs to insure NFL retirees will be really, really high.  They retiree early and have lots of health care needs.  But I really don't care.  The League has to do something for these guys.  There is a whole new generation right behind them.  (As a Lion's fan, this made me very concerned for Best.)

Edit - Double Post.  My bad.

Loved watching Hoard play growing up. I remember an announcer (in my head it's Keith Jackson's voice, but I'm to sure) saying during one of the games, "give the ball to Leroy Hoard" in a low long drawn out voice. From that game on, every time my Dad was watching a game with me he would say "give the ball to Leroy Hoard" over and over again. That line has stuck in my head all these years. Now it will say "give Leroy Hoard one more good day".

Keep fighting the good fight Leroy. It's horrible to see the physical toll football has taken, but it's inspiring to see the way you are dealing with it.

I want all football to go back to leather helmets.  If they did, much of this human carnage and senseless tragedy would stop.   There is not a player with a shred of common sense that would lead with his head if he wore a leather helmet with no facemask instead of the helmets today.

Today's helmets may very well protect the skull itself from a traumatic injury, but they are simply a sham to cover up the truth that the collisions and the sudden change of direction of the brain inside the skull are the main cause for the brain injuries that are debilitating today's current and former players.

The impact is tremendously violent, but the real damage is done when the head stops moving or changes direction, but the brain continues in its original path and slams against the inside of the skull, that's where the damage is done.  NO HELMET ON THE PLANET CAN FIX THAT!

I love football, but this is truly sad and insane.  How many great players have to be reduced to  shadows of themselves or die before the truth is realized and acted upon?

what about all the hits these players took before getting into the NFL. This goes way beyond the NFL. There is absolutely no way these players can prove it was JUST their NFL experience that caused all these problems. High Schools, college, and even Pop Warner football needs to take notice and be more prepared to deal with head trauma.

I don't know where I saw this, but I'm 99% certain it was Leroy Hoard. The situation was 4th and goal from the one, or fourth and two somewhere on the field, and Hoard told Bo, "Coach I'll get you three yards." Later in a 3rd and 5 situation he said, "Coach, I'll get you three yards." LOL. I was in middle school when he played at Michigan and I remember him pounding and bruising every team Michigan played. A couple months back someone started a thread about  "Your All-Time Michigan team", he was my choice for one of the two running back positions along with Wheatley. Sad to see the pain he's going through.

Baltimore got called a couple times but it seemed like many more times they lead with their helmet.  

This is where I think the NFL needs to fine people after the game or do something...

testiment to the fact that he got outside his football life and became part of the larger campus environment.  I played euchre with him a couple times.  Took about 30 seconds to figure out he was a sharp guy.  Tragic story.