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Thread: 49ers Borland Retires

  1. #1

    49ers Borland Retires

    BERKELEY, Calif. -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland, one of the NFL's top rookies last season, told "Outside the Lines" on Monday that he is retiring because of concerns about the long-term effects of repetitive head trauma.

    Borland, 24, said he notified the 49ers on Friday. He said he made his decision after consulting with family members, concussion researchers, friends and current and former teammates, and studying what is known about the relationship between football and neurodegenerative disease.

    "I just honestly want to do what's best for my health," Borland told "Outside the Lines." "From what I've researched and what I've experienced, I don't think it's worth the risk."

    Borland becomes the most prominent NFL player to leave the game in his prime because of concerns about brain injuries. More than 70 former players have been diagnosed with progressive neurological disease following their deaths, and numerous studies have shown a connection between the repetitive head trauma associated with football, brain damage and issues such as depression and memory loss.

    "I feel largely the same, as sharp as I've ever been, for me it's wanting to be proactive," said Borland. "I'm concerned that if you wait till you have symptoms, it's too late. ... There are a lot of unknowns. I can't claim that X will happen. I just want to live a long healthy life, and I don't want to have any neurological diseases or die younger than I would otherwise."

    Borland was expected to be a key part of the 49ers defense this season after the retirement last week of All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis. Borland replaced Willis, 30, after six games last season; Willis had sustained a toe injury.

    Willis' retirement had no role in his decision, Borland said.

    Borland said there was no chance he would change his mind. The third-round draft pick who starred at the University of Wisconsin said he has had just two diagnosed concussions: one while playing soccer in the eighth grade, the other playing football as a sophomore in high school.

    Borland, who is listed at 5-foot-11, 248 pounds, earned accolades for his aggressiveness and instincts at inside linebacker. He had 107 tackles and a sack in 14 games, eight of them starts. He was the NFC's defensive player of the week for his performance against the New York Giants in Week 11. He led the team with 13 tackles in that game and became the first 49ers rookie linebacker in history with two interceptions in one game. He received one vote for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

    His success last season did not make his decision more difficult, Borland said: "I've thought about what I could accomplish in football, but for me personally, when you read about Mike Webster and Dave Duerson and Ray Easterling, you read all these stories and to be the type of player I want to be in football, I think I'd have to take on some risks that as a person I don't want to take on." Borland was referring to former NFL greats who were diagnosed with a devastating brain disease, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, after their deaths. Duerson and Easterling committed suicide.

    Borland said he began to have misgivings during training camp. He said he sustained what he believed to be a concussion stuffing a running play but played through it, in part because he was trying to make the team. "I just thought to myself, 'What am I doing? Is this how I'm going to live my adult life, banging my head, especially with what I've learned and knew about the dangers?'"

    He said the issue "gathered steam" as the season progressed. Before the fourth game of the pre-season, at Houston, he wrote a letter to his parents, informing them that he thought that his career in the NFL would be brief because of his concerns about the potential long-term effects of the head injuries.

    After the season, Borland said, he consulted with prominent concussion researchers and former players to affirm his decision. He also scheduled baseline tests to monitor his neurological wellbeing going forward "and contribute to the greater research." After thinking through the potential repercussions, Borland said the decision was ultimately "simple."

    He said part of the reason he waited until now was because he wanted to inform his family and friends, including a few 49er teammates. He said he also wanted to have time to contact the researchers and study the issue further.

    Borland, who earned a bachelor's degree in history at the University of Wisconsin, said he plans to return to school and possibly pursue a career in sports management. He had a four-year contract with the 49ers worth just under $3 million, which included a signing bonus of $617,436.

    The decision to retire had nothing to do with the 49ers, Borland said. He said that his feelings toward the team and his teammates marked one of the hardest aspects of the decision.

    "It's an incredible organization, and they truly looked out for players' best interests," he said.

    Borland is the fourth NFL player age 30 or younger to announce his retirement in the past week. Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Jason Worilds, 27, said he retired "after much thought and consideration" to pursue "other interests." Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker, 26, said he left the game because he no longer had "the burning desire necessary to play the game for a living."

    Willis said he retired due to constant pain in his feet, among other reasons. He was placed on the season-ending injured reserve Nov. 11 after getting hurt on Oct. 13.

    Borland had a decorated career at Wisconsin, where he was named the Big Ten's defensive player of the year and linebacker of the year as a senior. He was a first-team All-American selection and multiple recipient of All-Big Ten honors.
    Whoa.

  2. #2
    i think this is gonna be a trend

  3. #3
    Senior Rat HOFer Bossman641's Avatar
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    A lot of fears he would have a short career but I was not expecting this short
    Go PACK

  4. #4
    Wow. Thought it would be his shoulders, wonder how many concussions he had in the Pros?

    That is two Badgers who retired early. Borland and Moffitt.
    Bud Adams told me the franchise he admired the most was the Kansas City Chiefs. Then he asked for more hookers and blow.

  5. #5
    he said he just had the one in training camp, and he hid it cause he wanted to make the team

  6. #6
    Fact Rat HOFer Patler's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pbmax View Post
    That is two Badgers who retired early. Borland and Moffitt.
    Will Abbredderis be far behind?????

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Patler View Post
    Will Abbredderis be far behind?????
    Good question. Though Tauscher and Thomas had no problem grinding it out.

    Magic needs the Gazoo helmet.
    Bud Adams told me the franchise he admired the most was the Kansas City Chiefs. Then he asked for more hookers and blow.

  8. #8
    Prescient Rat HOFer esoxx's Avatar
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    Thus marks the beginning of the end of pro football, at least as we know it.

    Ah, it was a good run.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by esoxx View Post
    Thus marks the beginning of the end of pro football, at least as we know it.

    Ah, it was a good run.
    i'm thinking the exact same thing

    and so the end begins

  10. #10
    Red Devil Rat HOFer gbgary's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pbmax View Post
    Wow. Thought it would be his shoulders, wonder how many concussions he had in the Pros?

    That is two Badgers who retired early. Borland and Moffitt.
    evidently/luckily just two since the eighth grade. none in the pros.

  11. #11
    That's a shame. I liked him in the draft and actually hoped the Packers would have drafted him, but San Fran snuck in early and grabbed him.

    This just adds another team in the ILB sweepstakes.

  12. #12
    Roadkill Rat HOFer mraynrand's Avatar
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    breach of contract?
    "Never, never ever support a punk like mraynrand. Rather be as I am and feel real sympathy for his sickness." - Woodbuck

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    Postal Rat HOFer Joemailman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mraynrand View Post
    breach of contract?
    I'd thought about that. But given the concern about head trauma, I don't think they want to take on that fight. The money they might collect wouldn't be worth the PR fallout. 3/4 of his signing bonus would be about 450,000.

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    Creepy Rat HOFer SkinBasket's Avatar
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    Just like, but not nearly as bad as, Larry Sanders - I guess it's easier to pursue your other interests and worry about your health after you've grabbed a gob of cash from the league. At least Borland quit at $1 million instead of $20-$25.
    "You're all very smart, and I'm very dumb." - Partial

  15. #15
    Roadkill Rat HOFer mraynrand's Avatar
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    Larry?
    "Never, never ever support a punk like mraynrand. Rather be as I am and feel real sympathy for his sickness." - Woodbuck

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    Fact Rat HOFer Patler's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SkinBasket View Post
    Just like, but not nearly as bad as, Larry Sanders - I guess it's easier to pursue your other interests and worry about your health after you've grabbed a gob of cash from the league. At least Borland quit at $1 million instead of $20-$25.
    Ya, I thought about both. At least Sanders spent some years in the league, was a starter and proven performer (at times) and his "problems" were well-known. Many thought the Bucks were crazy to give him that much cash.

    Borland pocketed a million $ for a season he probably expected not to play much as a rookie. Then suddenly in the off season he has an epiphany and understands there are risks of head trauma, so he quits.

  17. #17
    Postal Rat HOFer Joemailman's Avatar
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    Jeff Miller, the NFL's senior vice president of health and safety policy, released the following statement Tuesday morning.

    "We respect Chris Borland's decision and wish him all the best. Playing any sport is a personal decision," the statement read.

    "By any measure, football has never been safer and we continue to make progress with rule changes, safer tackling techniques at all levels of football, and better equipment, protocols and medical care for players. Concussions in NFL games were down 25 percent last year, continuing a three-year downward trend. We continue to make significant investments in independent research to advance the science and understanding of these issues. We are seeing a growing culture of safety. Everyone involved in the game knows that there is more work to do and player safety will continue to be our top priority."
    .

  18. #18
    I feel no more sorry for the 49ers than I do for a player dumped 3 days before the roster bonus is due. A signing bonus is an inducement to get a player to sign a deal and offload risk to the team. The risk was their's to bear, not his.

    The CBA language (or wherever its written) to allow (partial) recovery of that bonus changes the nature of that payment substantially. Its not a bonus anymore, its an advance on future salary.

    The idea that a player is beholden to a contract but the team is not is dumb.
    Last edited by pbmax; 03-17-2015 at 10:23 AM.
    Bud Adams told me the franchise he admired the most was the Kansas City Chiefs. Then he asked for more hookers and blow.

  19. #19
    where the hell is bretsky? this seems like the perfect thing to shove in his face

  20. #20
    Fact Rat HOFer Patler's Avatar
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    I don't feel sorry for the 49ers either, nor am I drawing distinctions between the players and teams responsibilities and obligations. Just pointing out a situation in which, perhaps, a player took advantage of the team. People tend to see the reverse more often.

    I wonder if it is really concern about his head. There were several stories last year that he already required another shoulder "fix", after having three already. Perhaps he was looking for funds to take care of that, and never did intend to play long because of it. Best case scenario, the team would pick up the tab. Worst case scenario, he would have the cash to pay for it himself. (Don't know how insurance would treat it otherwise.)

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