Brutal high school football hit

There’s been a lot of chatter the last few weeks about concussions in sports. Recently, a study in the Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology discussed a possible relationship between ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and concussions.

Gehrig himself was a victim of three or four of these brain injuries that resulted in hospital stays. And while there are certainly a fair share of incidents in baseball, it’s football where concussions are more prevalent.

As a fan, I can genuinely say I relish the big hit. It’s one of the more spectacular plays you’ll see watching a game and one of the few that will make you jump out of your seat. In the NFL/NCAA, brutal hits happen on nearly every down. Maybe some aren’t as violent as a safety crushing someone over the middle but nevertheless, when you have 300 lb men crashing into each other, you’re going to have a few helmets knocked loose.

Which brings us to this high school football hit over the weekend we happened to stumble upon. In some ways, you tell yourself that the violence of the game is o.k. when it’s college kids and professionals. But a teenager getting hit this hard undoubtedly gives you pause.

Thankfully, Ryan Dixon of Providence High School walked off the field after the devastating blow. But watching this in slow motion you can actually see his neck snap back and his helmet almost dislodge. About as brutal a hit as you’ll see at that level.

--- Did you like this article? And you probably like contests, exclusive content, and smug commentary right? Then why aren't you liking Guyism on Facebook? Show some pride and click the "Like" button below right now: