Yes, and given the way we follow these guys from time they become NFL draft possibilities, it would be nice if they never got injured and we got to see their full potential. For me, and so many others here, I'm always reminded that most of these guys are just kids with extraordinary athletic ability. To see their gift taken from them so early so frequently is the most difficult part of the game. The really long-term injuries are the toughest - especially the head injuries which is why ice hockey has a sadness that interrupts admiring a fast, physical, sudden game.
I mean, how much were we all looking forward to seeing rookie Tyquan Thornton flying down the field? Fortunately his injury - broken collar bone - won't affect his speed, but the poor kid could even reach week one with being put on IR.
Everybody knows and understands the risks and the inevitability of injuries in football at every level. Sometimes I don't know how the coaches do it. North Dallas Forty - both the movie and book - did a nice job of capturing the conflicting emotional and physical toll of football. It's still one of Nick Nolte's best movies along with 48 Hours I and II, and Cape Fear with DeNiro and Jessica Lange.
