As the NFL continues to make changes to promote player safety, Baltimore Ravens defensive back Bernard Pollard has been steadfast in his opinion that the game should not change. While Pollard said players know what they signed up for, that doesn't mean he wants his own son to do the same.
Super Bowl 2013: Bernard Pollard does not want his son to play football
Bernard Pollard, one of the more outspoken players when it comes to the future and direction of the NFL, said he doesn’t want his son to play football.
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During Tuesday’s Super Bowl Media Day, Pollard said he doesn’t want his 4-year-old son to play football when he gets older.
“I have a son, and my stance right now is I don’t want him playing football,” Pollard said, via USA Today. “We want our kids to have better than we did. If he is gung-ho, I’ll probably let him play, but I don’t want him to.”
Pollard’s comments on Tuesday come a few days after he said he doesn’t think the NFL will be around in 30 years. He said he thinks the direction the NFL is going with changes to reduce hits will eventually lead to fans getting fed up. While the NFL is promoting player safety, players are becoming bigger, faster and stronger leading to the same violent collisions.
“You can put a bigger helmet on me, but it’s still going to create the same contact. Things are still going to happen,” Pollard said.
Instead of changing the game, Pollard said players know what they signed up for and the NFL would be wise to avoid drastic changes such as removing kickoffs.
“What do you do? You keep playing football. You’re going to have your concussions and broken bones. As players, we know what we signed up for,” Pollard said.
Pollard’s stance on his son’s football future appears to have more to do with the future of football rather than it’s current state. Known as one of the most physical players in the NFL, Pollard is never one to shy away from contact. Instead, he said he’s concerned that the league’s attempt to promote player safety is contradicted by coaches and owners wanting players to be bigger and faster than ever before. That combination could prove to be a dangerous one.
“Like I said, I hope I’m wrong, but I just believe one day there’s going to be a death that takes place on the field because of the direction we’re going,” Pollard said, via CBS Sports.
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