NFL football veterans support Fort Carson Soldiers

Former NFL players offer support to soldiers at Fort Carson
KOAA News
by Tony Spehar
January 19, 2014

Four former NFL players visited Fort Carson on Sunday afternoon to watch the Broncos take on the Patriots and offer advice to soldiers struggling with psychological issues and transitioning to civilian life.

Chris Sanders (of the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans), Freddie Scott (of the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts), George Wrighster (of the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants) and Jason Kaiser (of the Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins) came to the Mountain Post as part of the Real Warriors Campaign. The NFL Players Association partnered with Real Warriors to offer game day events at several military installations where former players give motivational support to soldiers.

"When they're playing, overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa or Korea or wherever our soldiers are at they're going to find time, even though the games are played at like 0400 in the morning, they're going to be watching those games," described Col. David Grosso, Fort Carson's Garrison Commander.
read more here

Massachusetts Veteran Marine sends Fort Carson Soldier to Pats game

Fort Carson soldier Gary Petro and his family were enjoying a night at Katie Mullen's Irish Pub and Restaurant in Denver where Pikes Peak Pats were celebrating.

Marine Veteran Brian Miller was there too from Massachusetts. He thanked Gary for his service, then told him that he bought Gary and his family tickets to the game!

Patriots fan gives Ft. Carson family game day gift. 9NEWS Colorado 1/18/14

Difference between NFL and DOD TBI

There has been a fascinating study on TBI being done but apparently few noticed. The study is on how two very different organizations view traumatic brain injury connected to professions.

First we have the NFL and football players.

The NFL proposed a settlement in a lawsuit filed for 4,500 football players connected to traumatic brain injury.

$765 million would cover the potential costs for 18,000 retirees over the 65-year life of the agreement.

The judge rejected it.

One of the critical questions Golkin must consider is if there is enough money set aside not just for retired players with injuries, but also for players whose conditions worsen in years to come. The provisional settlement includes at least $675 million to pay monetary awards, $75 million for medical testing and monitoring, and $10 million for research.

But the science related to traumatic brain injuries and illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease is still evolving, so it is far from clear how many players might have significant issues in the coming years, and how many of those can be eligible for payouts of up to $5 million, as is stipulated in the proposed agreement with the N.F.L.

Then we have the DOD and TBI

Moderate to severe TBI linked to increased risk of early death
Stars and Stripes
By Matt Millham
Published: January 15, 2014

People who survive six months or longer after suffering traumatic brain injuries continue to remain at risk for premature death long after their injury, according to a study published Wednesday by the American Medical Association.

The study, led by Dr. Seena Fazel at the University of Oxford in England, used data from Sweden going back to 1954. With data from such a long time period, the research team was able to draw conclusions about the long-term consequences of moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries, Fazel said.

“One of the bottom lines is thinking about this as a chronic illness, a chronic disease,” he said.

His team found that while traumatic brain injuries, or TBI, tend to be one-off events, they have chronic, long-term consequences, he said. “And one of the consequences is premature mortality.”

The risk of premature death after a TBI is small — just 3.6 percent, according to the study. But among those who survived six months or longer after a TBI, there was a threefold increase in the odds of dying early when compared to the general population, according to the study. The odds of early death jump even higher for TBI patients also suffering from psychiatric illnesses, depression or substance abuse.
read more here

Seems that both groups are fighting the same war, compensation for the same injury however, the two causes of the injury are far, far different from the other.

One is about fame, fortune and sports. The other is about being willing to die for someone else and making a lot less than the other group.

From Fort Hood to NFL Josh McNary ready for New England Patriots

McNary brings Army experience to NFL
Fort Hood Herald
Albert Alvarado
Herald staff writer
January 8, 2014

Courtesy of the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts linebacker Josh McNary prepares for a play against the Houston Texans earlier this season. The Colts face the New England Patriots in the AFC Divisional Playoffs on Saturday.

Being across the line and having to defend offenses run by NFL quarterbacks like Tom Brady may scare some rookies, but not Josh McNary.

The Indianapolis Colts linebacker trained for far greater challenges off the field as a solider at Fort Hood.

“In the back of my mind I’m pretty familiar with the dangers that life can throw at you,” McNary said.

On Saturday, the former Army Black Knight recorded seven tackles to help the Colts beat the Kansas City Chiefs 45-44 in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs.

Indianapolis advances to the AFC Division Playoffs against the New England Patriots on Saturday at Gillette Stadium. The game kicks off at 7:15 p.m. and will be televised on CBS.
read more here

We 'pick up the pieces' after brain injuries to football player husbands

Well thought of article and points out how it is the wives that have to step up and do it all. The trouble is, this is about NFL players even though military/veterans wives have to fight the same battles but no one is suing on their behalf.

NFL wives: We 'pick up the pieces' after brain injuries to football player husbands
By Stephanie Gosk and Monica Alba
NBC News

The wife of an ex-football player who is suing the NFL for allegedly concealing the danger of concussions said that during games, even way up in the stands, she could hear the sound of helmet-clad heads slamming into each other.

“You would hear the clapping of the helmets,” said Garland Radloff, whose husband Wayne played five seasons at center for the Atlanta Falcons. “But then you’d hear cheering. … You know, you didn’t think about any head injury.” She says she wasn’t thinking about long-term effects even after the time her husband was knocked out cold for five minutes.

More than 20 years later, Wayne Radloff, at age 52, has been diagnosed with a form of early onset dementia brought on by repeated concussions. He is unable to work and the bank has started foreclosure proceedings on his South Carolina home. And Garland Radloff has become one of the football wives who are left to carry the ball -- to earn a living, take care of the kids, and fight for what they believe the NFL owes their families.

The wives have had to handle much of the paperwork, the discussions with doctors and lawyers, and the fight for benefits, while also holding their households together, because their husbands have been left with short term memory loss, depression, and other ills that make it difficult to hold a job or pay mounting medical bills.
read more here

Vietnam Veteran recovering after saving woman at Oakland Raiders' Game

Vietnam Veteran Who Injured Himself Rescuing A Falling Woman At NFL Game
Credits Military Instincts
Fox News Latino
Published November 26, 2013

OAKLAND, CALIF. – When he saw a woman jumping from the upper deck at the Oakland Raiders' stadium on Sunday, Donnie Navidad said his military instincts immediately kicked in as he lunged forward trying to catch her.

But though he was injured in the process and authorities say he saved the woman's life, he maintains that he's no hero and that he would do it again.

"I just wished I would've grabbed her and held on to her," Navidad said. "I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do anything."

Both Navidad and the woman hit the concrete hard from the impact about 15 minutes after the Raiders' 23-19 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Navidad said he was among several people pleading with the woman not to jump as he positioned himself to try catching her. When she plunged about 45 feet from the upper deck at the O.co Coliseum, Navidad, with his arms open, ended up breaking her fall.

The 61-year-old Marine Corps veteran was hospitalized overnight and was recuperating from a severely bruised arm at his home in Stockton.
read more here

NFL and players reach $765 million settlement over head injuries

NFL and players reach $765 million settlement over head injuries
NBC News
By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer
august 29, 2013

The National Football League has agreed to pay $765 million to settle lawsuits by former players over head injuries, it was announced Thursday.

The proposed agreement, which was hashed out during court-ordered mediation, will dedicate $675 million to a compensation fund for retired players who can show they have severe cognitive impairment, dementia, Alzheimer's or Lou Gehrig's disease.

The amount each player gets will be determined by doctors and court administrators, and players can apply for more funds if their condition deteriorates over time.

Another $75 million will be spent on medical exams for retired players, and $10 million will be earmarked for a research and education fund.

The settlement covers dozens of lawsuits filed by more than 4,500 ex-players who accused the league of glorifying the violence of the sport while ignoring the health risks and failing to warn players that repeated concussions could cause brain damage or leave them prone to depression and suicide.
read more here

Before they made NFL cheerleader famous reporters missed arrest

The country learned of a beautiful Iraq veteran. Megan Welter went to Iraq, came back home and became a cheerleader for the Arizona Cardinals. The press was all over her story. The problem is she had been arrested on domestic violence the same month the press made her famous.

War veteran NFL cheerleader arrested on domestic violence charges
Megan Welter was arrested on July 20 on charges of alleged assault, disorderly conduct and criminal damage
USA Today
By NATE SCOTT
August 2, 2013

Arizona Cardinal cheerleader and Iraq War veteran Megan Welter, who we profiled earlier this week, was arrested in July on assault charges.

On July 20, Welter made a 911 call saying that she and her boyfriend had been in a physical fight. Both of them had been drinking heavily, and Welter claimed the argument had turned physical.

According to the Scottsdale police report, when officers arrived on the scene, they saw no signs physical contact on Welter’s body. Her boyfriend was also able to show the officers video he had shot on his cell phone of the couple’s altercation.

“People make mistakes, no one is perfect. I honestly want the best for her and I hope that this doesn’t take away from the good things that she has done for both the NFL, as well as the service to our country. People seem to only remember the bad and it is easy to point fingers while standing on the outside. Now with that said, violence is never the answer and I honestly hope that this can be a learning experience for her and everyone else.”
read more here

This morning news sites and the blog world are pushing this story. Why? Is it because she attacked her boyfriend or is it because she has been made famous for something else?

While USA Today was publishing the story of the arrest on Friday, the Christian Post had this story.

Megan Welter, NFL Cheerleader and Iraq War Veteran
'It Was the Right Thing to Do'

"The war was going on at the time when I graduated college," she explained. "I wanted to take a job that was going to meaningful, so I decided the Army."

After completing basic training, Welter decided on Officer Training School, which would give her a "100 percent chance" of going to Iraq, she said in a 2012 video profile for the Cardinals.

"I thought it was the right thing to do. I was deployed to Joint Base Belad which is about an hour north of Baghdad. At first, it was, it was scary you know, but … it's what I signed up to do. It was definitely a sink-or-swim type of experience," she said. Welter was responsible for maintaining communications for one of the largest Army bases in the country.

So which person is Welter? She is all the above. She is complicated and trying to do the right thing for the right reasons but she is not perfect. That is the point. None of us are perfect and that includes reporters pushing a story they think will get a lot of attention but not bothering to check out everything that can be learned about the person they write about.

So we are left with going from this Iraq veteran goes from combat to cheerleading to the headline of her arrest. Would have been better if the reporters bothered to figure out what happened before the interview and someone we celebrated was taken down in a matter of a day.

Celebrated Cardinals cheerleader arrested after alleged assault caught on video
by 3TV
Video report by Javier Soto
Posted on August 1, 2013

Iraq veteran goes from combat to cheerleading

Arizona Cardinals cheerleader an Iraq veteran
Welter’s amazing journey to the NFL
USA Today
By NICK SCHWARTZ
July 30, 2013

Arizona Cardinals cheerleader Megan Welter didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming an NFL cheerleader, and her professional experience before joining the Cardinals wasn’t exactly ordinary — Welter came to the sidelines after spending 16 months in Iraq.
read more here

Paralyzed Marine gets new way to heal

Injured Marine gets second chance exercising his passion
CBS News
By David Martin
May 8, 2013

(CBS News) WOODBRIDGE, N.J. - When America's war veterans come home, many try to pick up their lives where they left off. That can be a big challenge. One Marine corporal had the will to do the heavy lifting -- he just needed someone to show him the way.

Josh Himan is pumping iron. He's done it since he was a teenager, and by the time he became a Marine, it showed.

Then his Humvee hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.

"I was ejected from the vehicle and sustained multiple spinal cord injuries," recalled Himan.

He went from the peak of your physical powers to being paralyzed. Himan was 25 at the time.

"There's a lot of times where you know, you think, 'Why didn't I just die?' But I always had love and support, and that's what brought me through."

Until Tyler Hobson, a household name in strength training, brought in the kind of a specially designed weight machine he usually builds for NFL players.

read more here

Football player suffered head trauma before suicide

Aside from the link we can connect this to military service head trauma, this shows what Junior Seau's family went through afterwards.

Junior Seau suffered from CTE brain disease, study shows
PUBLISHED Thursday, Jan 10, 2013
Associated Press

Junior Seau, one of the NFL's best and fiercest players for nearly two decades, had a degenerative brain disease when he committed suicide last May, the National Institutes of Health told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Results of an NIH study of Seau's brain revealed abnormalities consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

"The brain was independently evaluated by multiple experts, in a blind fashion," said Dr. Russell Lonser, who oversaw the study. "We had the opportunity to get multiple experts involved in a way they wouldn't be able to directly identify his tissue even if they knew he was one of the individuals studied."

The NIH, based in Bethesda, Md., conducted a study of three unidentified brains, one of which was Seau's. It said the findings on Seau were similar to autopsies of people "with exposure to repetitive head injuries."

"I was not surprised after learning a little about CTE that he had it," Seau's 23-year-old son Tyler said. "He did play so many years at that level. I was more just kind of angry I didn't do something more and have the awareness to help him more, and now it is too late.

"I don't think any of us were aware of the side effects that could be going on with head trauma until he passed away. We didn't know his behavior was from head trauma."
read more here

Broncos Give Soldiers 'Mile High Salute'

Broncos Give Soldiers 'Mile High Salute'
Nov 30, 2012
Army.mil/News
by Walt Johnson

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Soldiers representing Fort Carson's 4th Infantry Division and the Warrior Transition Battalion were honored for their service to the nation by the Denver Broncos Nov. 18, during pregame and halftime festivities at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium.

The Denver Broncos, in association with United Services Automobile Association, opened the doors to Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium to honor members of the military as part of the NFL's Salute to Service Campaign.

The Soldiers joined Airmen from Peterson and Buckley Air Force bases, Sailors from the Navy recruiting office in Denver and Coast Guardsmen were recognized in pregame and halftime ceremonies.

Among the dignitaries from Fort Carson were Maj. Gen. Joseph Anderson, commanding general, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson; Brig. Gen. Darsie Rogers, deputy commanding general for support, 4th Inf. Div.; Brig. Gen. Ryan Gonsalves, deputy commanding general for maneuver, 4th Inf. Div.; Command Sgt. Maj. Brian Stall, 4th Inf. Div. and Fort Carson.
read more here

NFL Recognizes Coast Guardsmen at Football Games

NFL Recognizes Coast Guardsmen at Football Games
Oct 31, 2012
U.S. Coast Guard
by PAC Kyle Niemi

Major American professional sports teams have long found ways to recognize military servicemembers at their events. In the 9th Coast Guard District, Great Lakes athletes and teams are often acknowledging the service and sacrifice of area Coast Guardsmen.

From throwing the first pitch at a Cleveland Indians baseball game, to dropping the puck at a Lake Erie Monsters hockey game, to being recognized at an annual invitational golf tournament in Akron, Ohio, the sporting public gets their fair share of opportunities to “cheer-cheer” for their Coast Guard.

Recently, Coast Guardsmen assigned to the 9th District were recognized at two different NFL football game in less than one week.

Rear Adm. Mike Parks, commander of the 9th Coast Guard District in Cleveland, was honored at the Monday Night Football game between the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions, Oct. 22, at Soldier Field in Chicago. The following Sunday, Oct. 28, 12 Coast Guardsmen were honored at the Cleveland Brown’s Stadium during a Hats Off to Our Heroes event during the Browns’ game against the San Diego Chargers.

Parks was selected by the United Service Organizations of Illinois, which has had a partnership with the Bears for the past 10 years. The USO serves as the conduit for selecting military members to participate in the “Bears/Boeing Military Salute.”
read more here

Joe Vitt volunteering at Walter Reed during suspension

Joe Vitt to assist wounded soldiers during suspension
By Kareem Copeland
Around the League Writer
Published: Sept. 21, 2012

Joe Vitt has found a productive way to serve his six-week suspension for his involvement in the New Orleans Saints' "bounty" scandal: He'll move to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., to live and assist wounded soldiers through the Semper Fi Fund program.

"If I can't be around my players, maybe I can be around these 'wounded warriors,' and help them with their rehab," the Saints' assistant coach told NOLA.com. "I'm extremely fired up about this. I'm going to leave my cell phone at home, I'm going to check into Walter Reed Hospital, and I'm going to stay as long as they want me.

"I'm fired up about that opportunity to help these guys. And I hope at the end of the day, I'm of some use to them."
read more here

NFL teams with Army for concussion program

NFL teams with Army for concussion program
By Barry Wilner
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Aug 30, 2012

WEST POINT, N.Y. — The NFL and U.S. Army have teamed up on a long-term program to care for and prevent concussions and head trauma, as well as other health issues.

Commissioner Roger Goodell and Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the Army chief of staff, announced the initiative at the U.S. Military Academy on Thursday.

Goodell and Odierno cited the common traits between soldiers and football players, particularly when dealing with stressful situations that can lead to injury.

“We can bring greater awareness not just to our two organizations, but to the general public,” Goodell said of the program. “We will do all we can to get our players and the soldiers to under what each other goes through. We’ll work to change our cultures by working closely together.”
read more here

Kenny Britt to explain himself to NFL today

Kenny Britt to explain himself to NFL today
August, 6, 2012
By Paul Kuharsky
ESPN.com

The Titans are ready to ramp up Kenny Britt’s rehab, and it sounds like he could be part of practice within two weeks.

Whether his issues off the field land him on the shelf at the start of the season, we don’t know. But he’ll explain himself to the NFL today when he visits the league office, according to John Glennon of The Tennessean.

Britt recently had his eighth incident that required police attention, facing a DUI charge at the Army post at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.

“I don't know what to expect -- a lot of questions,” he said.
read more here

Cleveland Browns' Seneca Wallace USO Tour

Pretty good shooting from a football player and not a cameraman!

Greetings again from The NOC!

I want to pass along a new feature on the recent USO tour of The Cleveland Browns' Seneca Wallace. Wallace video documented his four-day stint in Kuwait, after which he sat down with The NOC to talk about the experience and narrative his footage.

The piece that emerged is unique in its perspective and fascinating in its access; it's a meditation on opportunity and responsibility that speaks to the tremendous sacrifice made by our troops abroad. We'd love you to consider sharing it with your readers.

Might make for a nice 4th of July feature.

Pat Tillman’s widow ‘amazed’ at org’s growth

Pat Tillman’s widow ‘amazed’ at org’s growth
By Paola Boivin
The Arizona Republic
Posted : Friday Apr 20, 2012

During the extensive coverage that followed Pat Tillman’s death in Afghanistan, it was the face of his widow, Marie, that often stayed with us.

There was grace in her stoicism but profound sadness, too, as her grief played out on a national stage.

How would she move forward?

One part of the answer lies amid a crowd of tens of thousands of people who will inundate Tempe, Ariz., this weekend.

The eighth annual Pat’s Run, which benefits the Pat Tillman Foundation that Marie runs, will take place Saturday. Marie increased her involvement in the organization several years ago when she found herself finally able to reconcile the pain of the past with the promise of the future.

“It took time,” she said. “I certainly needed quite a few years of time and space, and to heal in a way that was right for me.”

Tillman, who walked away from a multimillion-dollar NFL contract with the Arizona Cardinals to join the Army Rangers, was killed in Afghanistan in 2004. He was 27.
read more here

More than 50 Marines take oath during NFL game

Camp Lejeune Marines take oath of enlistment during Panthers NFL game
Posted: Thursday, November 3, 2011 12:00 am
Sgt. Bryan A. Peterson Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune

Photo by Sgt. Bryan A. Peterson
Panther's game
Five Marines from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, along with more than 50 service members across North Carolina, South Carolina and a group of soldiers in Afghanistan broadcast live through a satellite feed, reenlist at the Minnesota Vikings vs. Carolina Panthers National Football League Military Appreciation Day game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday.

Before the National Football League season began, Minnesota Vikings running back and the NFL’s current rushing leader, Adrian Peterson, re-signed with the Vikings for seven years – a contract worth more than $100 million.

Sunday, during the Minnesota Vikings vs. Carolina Panthers NFL Military Appreciation Day game at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., more than 50 service members swore to uphold and defend the constitution of the United States in front of more than 70,000 screaming fans.
read more here

NFL coaches meet wounded soldiers in Afghanistan

4 NFL coaches visit troops in Afghanistan
By RICHARD ROSENBLATT (AP) – 1 hour ago

As Andy Reid visited with injured soldiers in a hospital at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan, the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles couldn't get over how eager they were to return to action.

"You see guys in there, some of them missing limbs and some pretty beat up," Reid said. "These guys couldn't wait to go back out there, if they could, and fight to protect our country. It's quite an amazing thing."

Reid, John Fox of the Carolina Panthers, Marvin Lewis of the Cincinnati Bengals and Brad Childress of the Minnesota Vikings met with hundreds of soldiers at the air field north of Kabul over the Fourth of July weekend.

The NFL-USO coaches tour is in its second year. Last year, five coaches visited troops in Iraq.

Watching a war unfold on TV half a world away and then suddenly being with the soldiers doing the fighting was an eye-opening experience for the coaches.
go here for more
4 NFL coaches visit troops in Afghanistan