George Visger: A Message to De Smith’s “Terrified” Players
I feel for the “terror” today’s players must be facing regarding a work stoppage. (To read the Sporting News article ‘NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith: ‘A lot of players are terrified’ about a work stoppage’ – Click HERE.) Luckily, I was able to support myself and family these last 28 years on the $65,000 plus partial playoff money (another $14,000) I made while a member of San Francisco 49′ers team in ’81. Shoot, if I wasn’t such an economically suave 23-year old when I was injured, I never would have survived the next 7 brain surgeries over the years. (The fact I had to sue for Workers Comp to get brain surgeries #2 and #3 paid did help keep the creditors at bay for a while.)
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I can remember times when I had $3.85/day to eat on during the late 80′s. I had 4 emergency VP Shunt brain surgeries in one 10-month period while I was back in school full time trying to finish my biology degree, bouncing in bars at night for $10/hr, swinging a hammer during the day in between classes as a general contractor and carpenter, and working as a live-in counselor at a Crisis Intervention Shelter for runaway youths (Diogenese Youth Services in Sacramento). I did two 28 hour shifts/week living in the home with up to 6 runaway youths at a time, while manning a 24 hr/day hotline. I was paid for 24 hours/shift as they thought you could get 4 hours sleep per night somehow. All this for $150/shift, and I was thankful I could pay the bills doing something to help others. That $300/week made the difference between eating or not. I was forced to quit that job during the 1987 four-brain-surgery-run, as I couldn’t remember where I parked my truck, much less be responsible for living with and counseling 6 at-risk youths at one time. Luckily, the anger management issues I developed from the brain surgeries were looked upon as an asset when pursuing bouncing jobs and I was able to demand a premium wage.
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Today’s players need to wake up, give back to the community and thank God and the older guys for paving the way for their lucrative careers, instead of whining when they aren’t guaranteed more than last years players. BEFORE they ever even step on the field!
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The first ever Neuro Recovery and Health Conference of Northern California will be held on June 12, at Sierra College in Rocklin, CA (Neuro-Recovery Conference – Click HERE – and I will be the opening speaker. I encourage anyone in the area to attend, as I will be discussing Dr. Amen’s Clinics, the Hyerbaric Oxygen treatments, and Dr. Barry Sears‘ health products I’ve been using to help recover cognitive functioning. All three treatments have been a Godsend for me.
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A few weeks ago they started me on my SECOND dementia medicine to help with my lack of memory. I’m now on Aricept and Namenda at age 51 with 3 kids age 18, 12 & 10. Can’t wait ’til they wheel me in for family functions in the next few years drooling and in a diaper. Luckily my family has a sick sense of humor and all will have some good yuks at my expense. I can’t blame them, as I would probably do the same. You need a sick sense of humor to deal with some of these maladies or they will kill you (my attempt at sick humor.)
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It should be mandatory for the NFL owners, De Smith, Dr. Ellenbogen and today’s players to read Dave’s blog daily. It may put a little perspective back in every one’s lives, as to the toll and human carnage the NFL can wreak.
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I am sitting in a Safeway Starbucks as I write this, seeing how my phone and internet were turned off 4 weeks ago, am fighting to stay in the house, have no health benefits, trying to run my business and I am battling a never-ending increasingly debilitating head injury (we won’t even worry about my fractured C6, C7 and S8 vertebrae, 3 knee surgeries, Gore Tex ACL transplant and other souvenirs I acquired from playing).
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For giggles on how the other side lives, have today’s “terrified” players read the following links. It may bring them back to earth.
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NPR: A Brain, A Life, Battered by Football – click HERE.
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Sacramento News and Review Cover story – click HERE.
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My letter to NFL Commissioner Goodell posted on Dave Pear’s blog - click HERE.
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CNN story 02/07/10 – click HERE.
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George Visger testimony at Senate Hearing on Traumatic Brain Injuries – click HERE.
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Bleacher Report – Head Injury Cover Ups in NFL & My 9 Brain Surgeries 2/10 – click HERE.
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Forgive me if I come across as hostile (Hogan, you can call me a hostile witness), but I get just a little perturbed when I hear the whining going on while NFL greats such as Mike Webster dies homeless in his truck using stun guns on his head to sleep, Andre Waters blows his brains out after asking for help and Justin Stryzinski plows his truck into a tanker.
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The NFL should be forced to show a film on the plight of ex-players to all college players AND owners at the combines. It may bring everyone back to reality.
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The owners should be ashamed of themselves, as they make BILLIONS off a blood sport no different than the Roman Gladiator exhibits. The only exception is NFL players get to live into their 50′s (if lucky), and the Gladiators were butchered on the spot when wounded (unless they were All Pro, then they found a way to get them back in the arena as there was money to be made).
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One good thing, at least we got to live with our wounds for a few years… at least some do anyway.
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George Visger
Wildlife Biologist/Motivational Speaker
San Francisco 49′ers
1980 & 1981
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P.S. – I have also attached my resume which I posted on my old CU coach’s website, if anyone is looking for a go-getter. I will give you 110%, and will work anywhere (am currently looking at a job opportunity in Alaska), as long as I can send money home to keep my family in the house. My wife is an elementary school teacher and gets her last check end of this month.
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George Visger’s resume on Mallory Men blog – click HERE.
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