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| A.J. Tarpley Retires From N.F.L. at Age 23, Citing Concussions | A.J. Tarpley Retires From N.F.L. at Age 23, Citing Concussions |
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| A. J. Tarpley, a linebacker with the Buffalo Bills, said Wednesday that he was retiring because of repeated concussions, the latest young player to walk away from football because of worries about his long-term health. | |
| Tarpley, 23, said he sustained the third and fourth concussions of his career last season, when he played in 15 regular-season games. | Tarpley, 23, said he sustained the third and fourth concussions of his career last season, when he played in 15 regular-season games. |
| “This decision is the hardest I’ve made yet, but after much research and contemplation, I believe it’s what is best for me going forward,” Tarpley wrote on his Instagram account. | “This decision is the hardest I’ve made yet, but after much research and contemplation, I believe it’s what is best for me going forward,” Tarpley wrote on his Instagram account. |
| The announcement by Tarpley, who was undrafted but signed by the Bills after four years at Stanford, comes a year after another linebacker, Chris Borland, left the San Francisco 49ers after one season. Borland also cited his fear of long-term cognitive damage for his reason for leaving football. | |
| Like Borland, Tarpley is walking away from a potentially big payday. | |
| When he joined the Bills, Tarpley signed a three-year, $1.575 million contract, according to SpoTrac. | When he joined the Bills, Tarpley signed a three-year, $1.575 million contract, according to SpoTrac. |
| With the announcement on Instagram, Tarpley posted a photo of himself after he intercepted a pass by Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Jets to seal a victory for the Bills and knock the Jets out of the playoffs in January. | |
| “The only thing comforting about not knowing this play would be the last of my career, is knowing that I never took a second for granted,” Tarpley wrote. | “The only thing comforting about not knowing this play would be the last of my career, is knowing that I never took a second for granted,” Tarpley wrote. |
| Football players at every level of the game have decided to walk away recently after suffering head injuries. Husain Abdullah, a safety with the Minnesota Vikings, retired in March after five concussions in a seven-year career in the N.F.L. Youth football programs are being eliminated in many places. | Football players at every level of the game have decided to walk away recently after suffering head injuries. Husain Abdullah, a safety with the Minnesota Vikings, retired in March after five concussions in a seven-year career in the N.F.L. Youth football programs are being eliminated in many places. |
| The moves have been prompted by the increasing evidence that repeated hits to the head, which are common in football, can lead to serious health problems later in life. The brains of a number of ex-players, most recently Ken Stabler, have been found to have C.T.E., the degenerative brain disease believed to be caused by repeated blows to the head. Willie Wood, who made the most memorable play of Super Bowl I, has | |
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| o recollection of it. | |
| N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell defended the sport in February. “If I had a son, I’d love to have him play the game of football,” Goodell said. “There’s risk in life. There’s risk in sitting on the couch.” | N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell defended the sport in February. “If I had a son, I’d love to have him play the game of football,” Goodell said. “There’s risk in life. There’s risk in sitting on the couch.” |