Conrad Dobler’s Fight for His Disability Benefits
Conrad Dobler still loves to stir things up once in a while, even after dozens of knee surgeries. He recently went on the road to promote his latest book, Pride and Perseverance, and while at a pre-Super Bowl press conference in Miami, he let loose with some comments about Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees. No one expected the amount of coverage – good and bad – that his comments would receive. But to paraphrase P.T. Barnum, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity – just be sure to spell my name right!” Over the past year, Brees had made some broad disparaging comments about the general condition of retired players’ lives and why they were having the problems after their retirement from the game.
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We’re posting an excerpt from Conrad’s book that summarizes the frustration most retired players have when trying to deal with their Union and their League in trying to get access to the benefits that have been set aside for them in the Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Players Retirement Plan. With 32 surgeries behind him – all obviously football-related – anyone with common sense would agree that the man should have been receiving full disability benefits over the years.
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The Story of My Fight for NFL Benefits
Excerpt from Pride & Perseverance, “The Perfect Storm Chapter“
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My 20-year struggle with the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) has been especially taxing during the last 10 years, as well. When I retired from the NFL in 1981, I received no information at all from them in regard to the benefits I was entitled to after 10 years in the league. I never thought that I would spend two decades fighting with the NFLPA to gain disability benefits from the very union that I supported and was a member of all those years. I never dreamed that the NFL itself would turn its back on me.
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The saddest thing is that I am not alone in this situation; thousands of former NFL players—including many of the greatest names in the sport— are now disabled as a result of the injuries they suffered during their playing days, and their union, the NFLPA, has completely turned its back on these guys. Many former players often find themselves financially destitute and with no way to care for their debilitating health issues,many of which don’t start to show up until 10 or 15 years after playing their last down.
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It’s a huge issue with often tragic consequences for many of the guys who have provided countless hours of entertainment to the people all across the nation on Sunday afternoons (and Monday, Thursday, and even Saturday nights) and whose athletic skills and physical sacrifices have enabled the NFL to become the multi-billion dollar industry that it is today.
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My knees had really started giving me problems soon after I retired, so I called a lawyer to see what benefits the NFLPA could offer me. I met with Gerry Spence, who at that time was one of the premier trial lawyers in the United States. Gerry had just won the Silk wood case, the story about radiation exposure at a nuclear power plant that was eventually made into a blockbuster movie. Even with his famous name, Gerry could not get through to talk to anyone in the NFLPA. He said, “Let me tell you about unions, Conrad. They are not going to do anything for you once you are no longer a part of the union.” I could not believe that. I said he must have been mistaken. After all, I had played side by side with these guys for a decade; I had been on strike with these guys in the 1970′s and they all knew me. Surely these same guys, who were now running the NFLPA, would be willing to help me.
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But guess what? After 20 years, I am still fighting to gain disability support from the NFLPA. The fight has drained me of my financial resources, my time, and my energy, and it has caused me much mental, emotional, and psychological anguish. I never expected this cruel and unusual punishment and callous disregard for the well-being of former NFL players from the NFL and NFLPA.
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Here I was, walking around on crutches after a surgery performed to clean up the junk floating around in my knee. My knees were just bone on bone, and I was on heavy doses of Perforce to survive the excruciating pain. I had no choice. I was taking them by the handful. I knew that every time I moved, I was causing more damage to the knee joint, and the drugs were also really screwing with my head. My energy levels, mental abilities, and emotions were all over the place. It was so bad that when I would come down off the medication, the pain would come back, and I would slide into an emotional depression prone to angry outbursts. I was barely able to hold myself together.
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Hell, at times I was a complete, raving idiot…
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You can purchase an autographed copy of Conrad’s book HERE. (If you purchase it directly from Conrad’s site, part of the proceeds will go to spinal research.)
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And here are links to Conrad’s Facebook and Twitter pages (who would have thought, huh, Conrad?)
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George Visger
February 24th, 2010 at 9:41 PM #
Conrad,
What they have done to you and who knows how many others is criminal. The NFL has built itself on using, abusing and discarding players, knowing there are thousands out there frothing at the mouth to fill those few vacancies on the rosters each year. They have also thrived on keeping costs down by forgetting to inform their employees of their rights once injured. (Doesn’t McDonald’s post that information in the back room, as is legally required of all places of employment?)
I have received phone calls from a ’90 – ’93 Colt (cut during camp when he developed seizures like I have), and another player yesterday who played ’77 – ’84, and he wasn’t aware he could file for Workers Comp until he read my posting regarding my fight with San Francisco 49′ers Workers Comp folks the last 28 years.
Thank God for Dave Pear and his blog which is allowing us to air out the NFL’s dirty laundry that they’ve hidden for so long. I read Senator Linda Sanchez’s letter to Goodell today and gave her a phone call to congratulate her on bringing to light the NFL’s illegal and criminal acts against vets who built this league like yourself. As she’s in California, I offered my services to her in any way I can help.
You can check out my testimony on 2/13/10 at Senate Hearing in Sacramento on Traumatic Brain Injuries by clicking HERE (then click on: Top Stories – Silent Epidemic Part 2).
I would love to see one of the NFL suits swap places with you or any number of the voiceless crippled vets for just one day. Maybe then they would BEGIN to earn the sickening $1 million/month crooks like Goodell steal, or even the $3.5 million that leech Rozelle is still sucking from what YOU built with your own flesh and blood and continue to pay for.
This country is facing a Tea Party because people have had enough of the thievery from Washington DC. And it’s time we have our own little party and look at a Class Action suit against what the NFL has done for years. I say we all come together and kick ‘em right in the teeth.
I know we have Congresswoman Sanchez and Congressman Conyers with us. It’s time we take control of our own destiny but we need everyone on board.
My thoughts and prayers are with you, brother.
George Visger
Survivor of 9 NFL related emergency VP Shunt brain surgeries, 3 knee surgeries, several Grand mal seizures, fractured C6, C7 & S8 vertebrae, GoreTex ACL transplant and recipient of ZERO $ in benefits.
Terry Hermeling
March 9th, 2010 at 12:34 PM #
Conrad,
Just a note to let you know I read your comments and am wishing you the best, don’t give up on your struggle for fairness and justice. If there is anything I can do to help in this process, please let me know.
Terry Hermeling
Washington Redskins
1970 – 1981