It’s true that this isn’t really so much of a political topic as a social one, but it’s been on my mind for a while now. The debate over the “violence” in the NFL in general and the specific dangers of concussions and other traumatic head injuries has taken off in forums far beyond ESPN and fan sites. There have been changes made to NFL procedures and equipment to lessen the danger, but that hasn’t stopped some folks from calling for an end to high school football. Some of the injuries have been serious to be sure, but a drastic solution is not always required for a serious problem.

I haven’t written very much on the subject and I’m clearly not an expert in the medical field, but I wanted to draw your attention to a letter penned by someone who is intimately familiar with these matters. That would be future Hall of Fame member Brandon Marshall, now a receiver for the New York Jets. He writes it in the form of a letter to Dr. Bennet Omalu, citing their extensive work in the field of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). In an article for the Huffington Post, he tells his own story of how he once had a concussion and “played through the pain” for several games because he didn’t want his career to suffer from missing games. But he also points out that not only are things getting better on the player protection front, but that rushing to essentially ruin football would affect far more people than just the fans and the players.

Football not only changed my life, it changed my entire family.

It opened the door so that I was able to get help. And while at McLean Hospital near Boston, during those three months, I realized there was another way of life, and I figured out how the world really worked. Then I shared what I learned with my family.

My mom began to search her heart and soul, and it turned out she was an alcoholic. She used to sit in her bedroom for most of the day with a fifth of Hennessy and smoke cigarettes. She only left her room to cook dinner.

We were able to send her to Betty Ford. Now she’s going into her fourth year of being sober, and she’s one of the most vibrant and amazing women I’ve ever been around.

Now, my sister is also at a treatment facility, and we hope for the best.

So, physically and mentally, football changed my family.

From there, he goes on to make three additional points about the extended benefits of football. These include giving a chance to boys from low income, high crime areas, some of whom find a way to go to college and escape the likely death sentence of growing up in gang infested areas. He also discusses the community building aspect of the NFL and the way it connects people, many of whom use that platform to do tremendous good for others completely outside of the gridiron.

It’s a beautifully written essay and I don’t have a lot more to add to it beyond what Marshall so excellently sets forth. Take a look.