Eagles Punter Caleb Sturgis Concussed by Football During Practice

Sports injuries are heartbreaking for the injured athlete and for the fans.

A career could end with an injury. The competitive hopes and ambitions for the team that the injured athlete plays for could end as well.

Well over a week ago French Olympian gymnast Samir Ait grotesquely broke his leg on international television during the Rio Olympics. Ait broke his leg on a vault jump routine gone horribly awry.

While horrifying to watch, his injury pointed a light on the perils of competing in sports.

Fans glorify athletes, but athletes are only human. An injury can bring their stellar talents crashing back down to Earth.

In the realm of professional sports, the well-being and health of athletes are constantly monitored by agents, sports and professionals and fans.

Baseball, basketball and football, among other sports, have regularly updated athlete injury lists with estimated times of recuperation and descriptions of injuries.

Sports Fantasy league success can rise and fall with the well-being and health of the more popular athletes.

The point is that health is everything when one is an athlete. Professional athletes have to take great care not to hurt themselves when they are not playing.

Most importantly it is important for athletes to wear all required safety gear when they are playing.

You may notice that some baseball players wear mini-armor and protectively placed strategic shielding on their arms and legs and forearms to protect themselves from errant pitches. Some baseball players wear armor and shielding when they face specific pitchers or teams.

You need the right tool and equipment for the right job. It is just as irresponsible for a construction worker to work without his helmet as it is for an athlete to play or practice without safety gear.

Well, someone should have said that to Philadelphia Eagles punter Caleb Sturgis.

The Eagles second pre-season game, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, was scheduled for August 18, 2016.

Sturgis missed the game with a concussion injury on August 17^th.

Sturgis wasn’t wearing a helmet while practicing for the game and was hit right on the head with a wayward football.

Sturgis will reportedly be fine and the Eagles routed the Steelers with a 17 to 0 win.

Still, it is a very hard lesson to be learned by a professional sports athlete.

A. A. Francis