Professional Football Researchers Association Forum
PFRA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the history of professional football. Formed in 1979, PFRA members include many of the game's foremost historians and writers.
JuggernautJ wrote:
The conclusion I come to is that the money today's players make has allowed them to train year-round (unlike previous generations in which football wasn't the full-time occupation it now is) producing stronger, faster players able to do more harm on those they contact.
This.
I can see Night Train Lane playing today, with modern science, nutrition, and year-round training. But if he tried to give someone a Night Train necktie, he would almost certainly break another player's neck.
This isn't just about the lasting effects of hits years after a player retires. If players today were allowed to play like they did in the 50's, 60's or 70's, somebody would get killed right on the field.
JuggernautJ wrote:
The conclusion I come to is that the money today's players make has allowed them to train year-round (unlike previous generations in which football wasn't the full-time occupation it now is) producing stronger, faster players able to do more harm on those they contact.
This.
I can see Night Train Lane playing today, with modern science, nutrition, and year-round training. But if he tried to give someone a Night Train necktie, he would almost certainly break another player's neck.
This isn't just about the lasting effects of hits years after a player retires. If players today were allowed to play like they did in the 50's, 60's or 70's, somebody would get killed right on the field.
"Big" lineman from those earlier areas were often in the 240-250 lb. ranger--sometimes less.
JuggernautJ wrote:
The conclusion I come to is that the money today's players make has allowed them to train year-round (unlike previous generations in which football wasn't the full-time occupation it now is) producing stronger, faster players able to do more harm on those they contact.
This.
I can see Night Train Lane playing today, with modern science, nutrition, and year-round training. But if he tried to give someone a Night Train necktie, he would almost certainly break another player's neck.
This isn't just about the lasting effects of hits years after a player retires. If players today were allowed to play like they did in the 50's, 60's or 70's, somebody would get killed right on the field.
Why do you think that, since nobody got killed in that era when players wore much less protection?
JuggernautJ wrote:
The conclusion I come to is that the money today's players make has allowed them to train year-round (unlike previous generations in which football wasn't the full-time occupation it now is) producing stronger, faster players able to do more harm on those they contact.
This.
I can see Night Train Lane playing today, with modern science, nutrition, and year-round training. But if he tried to give someone a Night Train necktie, he would almost certainly break another player's neck.
This isn't just about the lasting effects of hits years after a player retires. If players today were allowed to play like they did in the 50's, 60's or 70's, somebody would get killed right on the field.
Why do you think that, since nobody got killed in that era when players wore much less protection?
Well, Howard Glenn and Stone Johnson did die after suffering broken necks in AFL games in 1960 and '63, respectively.
JuggernautJ wrote:
The conclusion I come to is that the money today's players make has allowed them to train year-round (unlike previous generations in which football wasn't the full-time occupation it now is) producing stronger, faster players able to do more harm on those they contact.
This.
I can see Night Train Lane playing today, with modern science, nutrition, and year-round training. But if he tried to give someone a Night Train necktie, he would almost certainly break another player's neck.
This isn't just about the lasting effects of hits years after a player retires. If players today were allowed to play like they did in the 50's, 60's or 70's, somebody would get killed right on the field.
Why do you think that, since nobody got killed in that era when players wore much less protection?
Force = mass × velocity. More mass. Greater velocity.
Vontaze Burfict is almost 250 lbs. That's the size if a lineman from the 1940's or even 50's... but it Burfict is a lot quicker than a lineman from that era.