Former NFL offensive lineman Eugene Monroe says he won't allow his son to follow in his footsteps.
Writing for The Cannabist, Monroe discusses the toll football took on him and why he believes the sport as it stands today is too dangerous:
On the surface, I would love for my son to enjoy the game I love. But I can answer the question by assessing my current physical state from head to toe, inside and out. As I trace my body, there's no shortage of chaos directly resulting from football. But still, these things aren't enough to deny him our country's greatest game.
However, living with headaches that are eerily similar to my last concussion is a great reminder and gives me more than enough reason to say, 'No, son. I cannot knowingly allow you to destroy your brain." This decision hurts my heart, but it is the right one until we can establish proper protections for football players' heads.
Monroe goes on to say that hearing NFL commissioner Roger Goodell say he would love for his own son, if he had one, to play football was "a knife in my back."
Monroe finishes by imploring fans to pray for NFL players and also high school-level football players.
Monroe retired from football earlier this year. Prior to his retirement and in the time since, he has been an outspoken advocate for marijuana and the role it can play in treating and preventing head injuries.
