How beat up are you?

Played 4 years in HS, 2 years meat squad in college. Turn 60 this year. Only knee injury I got was from over-30 coed soccer. Still throw passes to receivers. Got hit hard enough in HS to bend my facemask back almost to my nose.
No real issues right now. I got nothing that I can attribute directly to football.

But I also got my head run over by a neighbor lady when I was 18 months old so if I've got anything... oh look! a squirrel...

Wait a phukin minute, you got your head run over?

I think people who played any sport(s) are generally better off physically than people who haven't.

I'm sure there are guys who had serious injuries and still feel them, but considering the numbers of people who play sports, it a small number...Lyle Alzado notwithstanding.

Consider what we used to do in our youth (I'm a little older than you) from riding a bike down "dead-man's hill" to surfing/skating/skiing/hockey...all sorts of pick-up games in the park (or the street). We all got dinged up some.

Actually, I think we're better off from playing anything and everything we played because, in part, our bodies were stronger and more able to take it.

I have a neighbor who never played any sport, not even Little League. He slipped on a ladder in his back yard some 30 years ago and still has a knee problem.

NOT playing sports is no guarantee you won't carry a life-long injury.

Played football from youth (age 10) through high school. 1 had 1 concussion in high school and a dislocated finger.

On the other hand , I tore cartilage in one knee, and blew the ACL in the other playing basketball. I can tell a day and a half ahead of time when it's going to rain. 

Basketball is dangerous. Ban it before everyone is crippled like me.

Still young...32...I’ll have lower back pain from time to time like others, but it is probably because I’ve put on a bit too much weight! A trip or 2 to the chiropractor & I’m good as new!

Aside from that I’m in pretty good health and got through HS ball with only a weird back injury in my senior year when our starting LB planted me on it in 1-on-1 tackling drills. Got like 3 quarts of fluid drained of it and wore a lightweight turtle shell under my shirt / pads to keep it from swelling the rest of the season...pretty sure that it isn’t directly related to the occasional lower back pain, but I’m unsure.

However, I have trimmed down to 20+ pounds to 254.6 since January 2nd. My chiropractor said getting that weight down would probably help my back the most. Hopefully, I keep it up. I know without HS sports, I’d be way less healthy & way less to exercise or know what it actually means to put in a “hard workout”.

I played a couple years in MS, 4 years in HS, and then a couple men's leagues. I was that Rudy type kid who though was undersized would take on the biggest SOB without flinching.

In the final game I played I made a play but the collision left me with a horrible concussion, instantly tunnel visioned I drove home after the game and vomited for hours on end. This was 15 or so years ago so the main thing for those who were with me was just to keep me from falling asleep (what we thought you were supposed to do). I had at least 4 other concussions that I can remember (would have been out a week nowadays) previous to this one; but this was different.

The effects of them combined, or really I think just this last one, are with me today. I can't drive up winding roads, have vertigo symptoms, if I wrestle around with my kids and get a pop on the head I'll be useless for a couple hours (I'd hate to think how I'd hold up in a fight nowadays). Heck, if I went on the dumbo ride at Disneyland I'd be out of it for awhile.

I've tried contacting some people regarding these issues, but there doesnt seem to be much anyone wants to or can do. The good thing is, when parents are concerned about their kids and head injuries now I tell them I have been through it and don't want that for their kids, so I will teach them how to be safer than we were when I was young.

Outside of that, 4 broken noses (which left me with a pretty nase after having had surgery) a bad back, and a couple knee surgeries (although the back and the knees owe a lot to hoops and baseball). I Can't run much on my legs, and it wakes me up now and then- but I work out all the time and am in decent shape- I played at 195 of good muscle, I am about 175 now because I don't work out like I did.

Yep. Apparently I was playing in the front yard, sandy soil, and the visiting lady backed over me. I’ve got the clipping about it. Had it been hard soil I would not be here. May explain my 7-7/8 size head. Mom said they could see the tire tread on my scalp for about 2 months.

I'm knocking on the door of 47. 

I played MS & HS ball. My junior year I fractured my L5. Ignored Dr. and didn't do any of the rehab (it was 1987, so...) came back had a strong senior year & really wanted to play college ball but they weren't offering & $ was too tight for D3 tuition. 

So..kicked around at the local Juco for a couple years before I decided I still wanted to be involved with FB & hence transferred to a 4 year & got my education degree. 

With that said, I completely 2nd what Chi5hi said. While I was "knocking around" town after HS we played some pretty vicious pick up games at the local park (played w/ a kid who got a full ride to a big 10 school & started 2 years there). I suffered a partial dislocation of my shoulder during one of the games & LITERALLY got my bell rung during another. I caught a ball & my buddy (former heavyweight wrestler) wrapped me up from behind w/ my arms pinned at my sides and slammed me head 1st into the ground. I couldn't hear anything but ringing for about 1-2 minutes. 

My point is that yes, injuries abound inside and outside of sports. 

My biggest issue now is a meniscus which I never injured while playing sports & frankly don't know how it happened. My back & shoulder are great & I think my head is good but if it isn't I wouldn't know it anyway so I'm going' with it's ok .

Otherwise, I played in a dad's pick up B-ball game a couple years ago for my son's travel team & I was like MJ compared to these slobs & I've never played organized b-ball in my life. These guys needed a sub every 3 minutes and could hardly move. 

Despite the injuries, my athletic background (3 sport athlete) along w/ working w/ young people I believe has kept me seriously fit compared to others MY AGE. 

benefits have FAR outweighed the negatives FOR ME.

My point exactly.

I am 35...

Completely blew out my left knee in college. I retired from my illustrious D3 career after that and got lazy so I didn't rehab it as well as I should have so now there are some lingering pains in it and in my hamstring. I figure they are my own fault. I still get around pretty good but if I play some pick up basketball, racketball or jog then I have a couple days of swelling and discomfort, but nothing too serious.

About five years ago the same knee was bugging me so I went in and they said it was my meniscus. I was going to resign from the school district I was at the end of the year and had 75 sick days (could only sell back 10 and they only paid $25 per day) so I let them do the surgery so I could take most of the rest of the year off. I don't think it made any difference in functionality at all but I did get a 15 weeks off of school paid.

It seems like meniscus surgeries are the plastic surgery of knees. Almost everyone I know that has gone in for knee pain has been told it is their meniscus.

I'm 46. Played from the time I was 6 to 21. Torn ACL/MCL during my Jr Year of HS, went on to play DIII ball, tore MCL again 2 more times my Sr Year of College. Got my "bell rung" several times in college, never officially diagnosed with a concussion but I am sure I had a couple. No lingering brain effects from all the hits that I took. Knee is a problem sometimes, have had shoulder surgery - from coaching not playing! Have some back issues at times but no big deal.

I would NOT change a thing that I did!!! I loved playing the greatest game on earth!!! I love coaching this game. It really infuriates me when all these college and professional athletes sue the NCAA and NFL because of something that they chose to do!! But, that's the society we live in these days, they don't want to take responsibility for what they have done. I chose to play, nobody forced me, it was my choice!!! How can I blame anybody else for what I wanted to do.

Pee Wees all the way up to 5 years of College ball. Probably more concussions than I had diagnosed and several turned ankles and I have no health problems yet. Workout with weights 4 times a week and am very active in practice and when some booger eater thinks he can take me down I show him whats what.

I don't know about your school but I hear more about band kids getting in trouble for sleeping around than anyone else

36 years old. I try to keep in really good shape with lifting and exercise. My body is decently wrecked from football. 4 years of high school, 4 years of college and then I was really smart and played 13 years of semi-pro football. Hips/knees are a little wonky but nothing horrible. Had a few concussions but no real lingering problems. The worst problem I have is my left index finger, I tore the cartilage my freshman year of high school and it never repaired so I can't make a fist.