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Football pro Byron Jones
Photo: Sam Navarro/USA TODAY Network/IMAGO
Torn cruciate ligaments, broken bones, concussions - and much more: injuries are commonplace in American football.
Byron Jones thinks the NFL pays too little attention to the players.
Now the Miami Dolphins professional has made an urgent appeal to future generations of players.
"I can't run or jump because of the injuries I sustained in this sport," the 30-year-old wrote on Twitter.
The medical departments of the teams injected the players rigorously fit - without regard to health and long-term consequences.
“DO NOT take the pills they give you.
DO NOT take the injections they give you,” Jones continued, “If you absolutely must, consult an outside doctor to learn the long-term effects.” Jones, who also played for the Dallas Cowboys before his Miami stint, missed those last season due to an operation on the Achilles tendon.
"It was an honor and a privilege to play in the NFL, but it came at an unfortunate cost that I didn't anticipate," added Jones, who ESPN says hasn't officially declared his career over yet: "Mine In my opinion, no professional success or financial gain is worth avoidable chronic pain and disability.
Good luck for the draft class of 2023.«
The draft usually involves young players from colleges and universities hoping to be selected by an NFL team.
Beforehand, players can put their skills to the test in the so-called Combine, where there are various challenges such as a sprint over 40 yards.
In 2015, Jones set a Combine record that is still valid today.
At that time he jumped 3.74 meters from a standing start.
"A lot has changed in the past eight years," he wrote.
The NFL itself repeatedly emphasizes that the health of the players is the greatest asset.
The league recently tightened the Concussion Protocol, which specifies how to deal with players with head injuries.
In January, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after a hard hit and had to be resuscitated on the field.
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