Enter
ILLUSTRATION BY TROY DUNHAM: PHOTOS SHUTTERSTOCK
The
Ultimate
Penalty
DATA
HUFFINGTON
09.16.12
CATASTROPHIC
FOOTBALL
INJURIES
1977-2011
Football, at every level, is a
game of big hits and big
risks. While the media has
focused primarily on the
long-term effects of head
trauma at the professional
level, no less troubling is
the number of younger
athletes who are killed or
catastrophically injured
every year. As recently as
Sept. 9, Devon Walker,
a Tulane defenseman,
suffered a fractured spine
while making a tackle.
After a three-hour surgery,
it’s unclear whether Walker
will be paralyzed as a result
of the injury. — Victor Brand
Graphic based on data from the Annual Survey Of Football Injury Research, 1931–2011 and Catastrophic Football Injuries Annual Reports
(2008 to 2011), Frederick O. Mueller and Bob Colgate, for The American Football Coaches Association, The National Collegiate Athletic Association and
The National Federation of State High School Associations.