In it to win it.

The new NFL? Nourishing Family Life. How a former football family makes the most of every play.

[nflwife]

[nflwife]

CTE is not guaranteed to anyone who plays football, it has been proven to hinge on 1st whether you are predisposed & 2nd repeated subconcussive hits to the head. "Severity of the disease is categorized into four stages, with stage 4 being the most severe. While researchers don't know exactly why certain people develop the disease and others don't, they believe that it results from repeated blows to the head that trigger a build up of tau proteins in the brain. Could veterans have concussion-related CTE? CTE has been called football's "concussion crisis," however experts point out that CTE can develop from any repeated head injury. According to the Boston University CTE Center, "this trauma includes both concussions that cause symptoms and subconcussive hits to the head that cause no symptoms." These subconcussive hits can include the repeated trauma the brain experiences from constant plays, hitting the turf, and tackling. Wrestlers, boxers, and military troops have also been diagnosed with the disease."

[nflwife]

A great read for significant others of athletes by Rachel Binns-Terrill

[nflwife]

Former NFL Players on the Injuries that Ended Their Careers | VICE Sports

Jermichael Finley, Mike Utley, and Tony Boselli tell VICE Sports about the afternoon their careers came to an end, and the new life they were forced to start building the following day.

“There are rules with spinal cord injuries that you cannot break. Understand them, deal with them every single day, and do what you need to do appropriately. If there's a problem, you attack it and you move on. This is the problem with society today, we're giving out ribbons to people for spelling their freaking names. When you've got a nurse with you 24/7 and first thing in the morning she's helping you get up so you can go to the bathroom... this is reality! Suck it up and let's go.”

[nflwife]

91/95 brains examined had CTE.

[nflwife]

[nflwife]

[nflwife]

Many of you saw some fun snippets from our MNF adventure in Charlotte this weekend. But since social media is an everyday Christmas card, as MB says, I wanted to fill in just a bit of the missing periphery. You didn't see the 10+ wounded veterans that the Tillmans hosted at the game without any fanfare or publicity. Because as Jackie (Tillman) said, "We are from military families, we get it". What is it? Is it the heartfelt thanks from men who have served our country, seen warfare, yet never attended a pro football game in their home state before that night? Is it a hero of a man, Cedric, who after stepping on a bomb, became a double amputee, then a public speaker and now runs marathons on prosthetic limbs? Or is it watching him smile, gazing at the torrents of rain coming down and say 'None of us wants rain in our our lives. But rain is just part of this experience called life. It's about your faith in God regardless of circumstance, turning your attitude into gratitude.' Is it the Tillman's own military families' sacrifices? Is it their own daughter, Tiana's, scar filled abdomen from heart failure at 3 months and a heart transplant at 6 months that reminds them of the rich blessing that can come from trials in this life? Or is it that Tiana's 4 month hospital stay opened the Tillman's eyes and hearts to help thousands of patients & their families dealing with lengthy hospital stays since 2008? www.CharlesTillman.org Truly, I can only imagine it is the overwhelming notion that Cedric, the Tillman's, other unnamed Panther football families and most likely those reading this blurb have come through the fire of life's circumstances far more refined because of our trials. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." -James 1:2-4 (at Carolina Panther Stadium)

[nflwife]

And the most creative Bears fan goes to... Justin Flosi's wife who makes custom couch & "slip covers" and embroidered pillows for a standard size facial tissue box! Let me know if you have a home team you want Justin's wife to make you a tissue couch for. 💙💙💙

[nflwife]

OC friends, please join me tomorrow at my home 12:30-2:30pm - open house style, as we assemble care packages for the homeless. Thank you to all who have donated items already! Photo Cred @blonderambitions

[nflwife]

Friends, check this inspiration out for your Super Bowl parties!!! Follow @footballbettys ・・・
Want to win this 2015 #Superbowl party pack? Go quickly to our blog and get the details! (Deadline to enter is today-eeek! Hurry!) #FootballBettys #giveaway #footballparty Www.Footballbettys.com

[nflwife]

It's a hard decision for any family, especially given that our son's father played in the NFL and his mom (me) is keenly aware of effects of possible brain injury issues. My dear friends Tamara and Kelly asked me to write a guest blog post on their site www.OhLardy.com as to whether or not our son will play football. Hope this post helps a few other families.

[nflwife]

#tbt Grateful for @bestoflegacy book for our kids to look back at their dad’s football career. ‘Is that really you, Dad?’ Would highly recommend all sports families to give this as a Christmas gift. Tell them I sent you and you will get bonus pages for free… A big deal as they don’t offer discounts! Book costs range but quotes are free! Call tel:[phone]

[nflwife]

Seahawks Tackling The Seahawks coaching staff led by Defensive Passing Game Coordinator Rocky Seto has produced an instructional video to educate coaches, players and fans outside of the organization about the team’s methods of tackling. The philosophy takes the head out of the play and increases safety, all while maintaining the toughness and physicality that makes the game great. NOTE: Like any athletic activity, no tackling technique can completely eliminate the risk of injury.

[nflwife]

"To better understand the impact of a hard tackle, researchers at UNC and Wake Forest University are studying results from sensors in helmets. "Players experience many more impacts during practice than they do in games," said Wake Forest Baptist Health professor Joel Stitzel. "We've found that a half to two-thirds of injuries are sustained in practice."

[nflwife]

If you or someone you know is at risk or being treated for CTE or mental illness- please consider getting a brain scan immediately. Watch this video to discover how a psychiatrist uses brain imagery to help people.

[nflwife]

A great read for football players who see themselves as more than an entertainer.