Two Things Can Be True: Roger Craig, Football and Formation

Is football a moral issue? I once heard a response to that very question; it stopped me in my tracks. While I do not totally agree, I do know that many parents have stronger opinions about allowing their child play football (or not) than they do about using drugs and alcohol.  Some liken the NFL to the Roman Empire, replete with its gladiatorial games. They would be more than happy if football just went away. The truth is, it's not going away. And the  Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026 reminded me why it shouldn't.

Those who wear the gold jacket are not ordinary individuals who found success on the gridiron. These athletes are extraordinary men, and each one offered insight into why football is a great game and how it shaped them. Though each speech followed a similar outline—each man recognizing the shoulders upon which he stands, congratulating his classmates, and acknowledging parents, family members, wives, coaches, and teammates—each was also unique. Adversity is a stranger to no one and extends far, far beyond the losses on the field. (I was unaware of Drew Brees' mother's death by suicide.) And still, the second Sunday in August is a day to reflect and remember, give thanks and extend gratitude to God. I can't help but think that if football is a moral issue, then perhaps we should also ask what kind of men—and what kind of people—it helps us become.

As they prepare for a new school year and a fresh season, I believe every high school and youth coach should consider this question. The purpose of this post is to offer one way to enter the season intentionally and collectively—and to begin answering that question together. Thank you, Roger Craig.

Bay Area sports fans were blessed with not one but two Roger Craigs. This Roger was drafted in 1983 by Bill Walsh out of the University of Nebraska (shout out Emerson family!) and was a three time Super Bowl champion. The other Roger Craig also came to Candlestick Park where he managed the Giants baseball team from 1985–1992. In 1989, he led the Giants to the National League pennant—their first since 1962. Humm Baby!

Selected through the Seniors process, it is easy to make a case for Roger Craig’s induction. In fact, his Hall of Fame résumé was evident shortly after his retirement in 1993 (although Canton regulates a five year waiting period). In 1985, Craig became the first player in NFL history with 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. A Four-time Pro Bowler, Craig is known for his distinctive high-knee running style and extraordinary versatility as both a runner and receiver. In 1988, he was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Fun fact: when I ran the Rock n Roll half marathon in San Jose in 2007, I saw him at the finish line. He looked radiant. #33!

Although he was present on the stage—hugging former teammates and friends, Craig elected to show a recording of his speech. Why? He has been diagnosed with vascular dementia—a condition his doctors believe is at least partly connected to head trauma from his football career. This is the price too many players have paid for football. This reality is at the heart of that moral question. And this another reason why coaches ought to show his speech to their team.

One might wonder, Why would a coach spread this story? One might think, What type of parent lets their child play with the pigskin? Craig explains why.

Today, there's another chapter I want to share.

I've been diagnosed with vascular dementia that my doctors believe may be related, at least in part, to the concussions I experienced during my career.

The changes were gradual.

At first, they were easy to dismiss as normal aging.

Over time, my family noticed it, too, and ultimately led us to seek answers from my doctor.

Two things can be true: football gave me opportunities beyond anything I could imagine.

It helped shape the man I became.

At the same time, we know more today about brain health than when I played, and I hope sharing my story encourages people to pay attention to their health and seek help when something doesn't feel right.

I want people to know this diagnosis doesn't define me.

I am still Roger Craig.

I am still a father, a husband, a teammate, a friend, and someone who loves this game and the people who brought it to my life.

If sharing my story helps even one family or one former player, then it's worth it.

Football gave me everything: opportunity, discipline, lifelong friends, and the platform to grow as a man.

What he says is true: a sport can shape a person into who they become—for better or worse. While the health risks always ought to be considered, the truth is that some men are alive because of football. They need the structure, discipline and sacrifice it demands, and for some, football provides a place where aggression and physicality can be channeled in a structured and purposeful way. Football teaches a person what it means to be part of a team and illuminates how different body types, heights and weights can contribute in unique and essential ways. The 5'7" running back and the 6'6" offensive lineman need one another. The player who starts every game and the one who rarely sees the field are both part of something larger than themselves. 

What we must learn from his example is that coaches and athletes have a moral obligation to speak about brain health and the risks of concussions. While many might be tempted to ignore the issue or stay silent, a team should promote a moral imperative to seek help and follow up on any injury, especially to the brain. For those of us who want football to NOT go away, we must speak truth to this power.

Craig said "I didn't realize I was making history, it just felt like we were doing something special as a team." Well once again, he is making history. We know how hard work, staying humble and keeping the faith can transform a person, a team and an entire city. Living out his message is something every football team should do this season. I would start.

Perhaps that is the answer to the question I posed at the beginning: Is football a moral issue? It can be. Not simply because of the risks it carries, but because of the people it forms. Football will teach something to every young person who plays it. The question is whether we, as coaches, will be intentional about what we teach.

So as another season begins, perhaps every coach should ask: What kind of people are we becoming through this game? And what kind of people are we helping our athletes become?

Forty Niner fans got a sense of who Roger Craig was and is. We are better for it. Grateful, too.

Photo Credits
Roger and Bronze
Class of 2026
Niner RB
Video of speech

The Truth about the movie "Concussion."

"The truth doesn't have a side." —Dr. Bennet Omalu

I wish I had the words of Dr. Omalu in my arsenal for when I taught the Foundations of Ethics: Morality and Justice. Though I am not teaching Ethics for the first time in 12 years, the importance of truth and its very nature underscores every course an educator must teach. We seek to bring it to students. It is also what this medical doctor—a pathologist turned coroner born in Nigeria sought to bring to the NFL. And his revelation of truth is the subject of the new movie "Concussion."

To be honest, I was skeptical of how Hollywood might portray the story. To a large degree, I was familiar with the story of Concussion because in the summer of 2014, I read the book "League of Denial: The NFL, Concussion and the Battle for Truth." I read it because the authors—Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru, who are also investigative reporters and brothers spoke at a lunch at the Olympic Club downtown. I'm not sure I would have finished it otherwise. It was tremendously technical, both scientifically and politically. It's far from a "feel good" story, but I knew it was an important one. Teaching Ethics, I also know we don't call it the "ugly truth" for nothing. 

As written in "Will Smith shines a light on the dark side of the sport he loves," the cover story for the December 20, 2015 issue of Sports Illustrated, 

A desire to disseminate the truth usually ranks far down the list of Hollywood's motivations. It's also worth adding that almost all of the major studios have lucrative NFL connections.

Fortunately, I found myself checking the boxes as I watched the 2 hour film. Indeed, I would have passed the reading check quiz on "League of Denial" by watching Will Smith's latest film.

Screenwriter and director Peter Landesman would expect nothing less. He said, "this movie, like all movies based on nonfiction stories—if we're smart and if we care—goes through a strong vetting process to be sure we tell the best, most truthful, most impactful version of the story." This story, was based on an article written by Jeanne Marie Laskas for GQ magazine, in 2009. See below.

Watching Concussion and then reading the SI piece by Ben Reiter confirmed what I left the movie theater believing to be true. The death by suicide of former Chicago Bears Dave Duerson was the watershed moment—the linchpin—whereby the National Football League had to confront a problem that wasn't going away. The League could no longer be one of denial. I wrote about him in a blog tribute in February 2011: A Loss in the (Notre Dame) Family. It was shared on Notre Dame magazine's website. Although a tragic story, I believe it is one of the more important postings I have written. I carried those thoughts with me to the movie screen as I watched Duerson's own struggle lead to his demise.

Anyone who chooses to watch Concussion will leave with more questions than answers. Playing golf today, a friend asked if high school football will be around in 30 years. I did not hesitate to answer "yes." He retorted with "how many kids died from playing football last year." He told me the number is seven or eight. The only thing I could say in response is "how many boys are alive because of football." 

I know a significant number of parents who are very passionate about their sons not playing football; I do believe it is a personal and important decision. My only hope is that they are as passionate about their views on the usage of drugs and alcohol for their teens. I mean that.

Ben Reiter writes, the NFL hopes that "the movie offers an opportunity to publicly talk about player health and safety and what the league's doing to pursue the goals that we've set, then we welcome the conversation." It does and it should. I guess I'm used to organizations with money and power covering things up. In this case, the NFL should reclaim the words that emblazon their glass doors on their Park Avenue office in New York City. The league promotes: RESPECT—INTEGRITY—RESPONSIBILITY TO TEAM—RESILIENCY. Those ideals must fuel a commitment to learn more, be transparent, acknowledge the danger and ameliorate the risk.

I think every person who is hungry for the truth ought to find it. Some good sources on this particular subject include:

• Bennet Omalu, Concussion, and the NFL: How One Doctor Changed Football Forever   by Jeanne Marie Laskas, featured in GQ Magazine in 2009 
• League of Denial by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fairaru
• Frontline Special: League of Denial

You may wonder why we care. Why do we spend so much of our time, money and energy on a game like football? Why are we so passionate about our home teams and make heroes out of its players? Because as the movie says "It's a mindless, violent game. And then it's Shakespeare."

I paused when I heard those words. We often do when we hear and realize the truth. And remember—it doesn't have a side.

Photo Credits
Dr Omalou
League of Denial
NFL
Will Smith