David Stluka UW Athletics
Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Chris Borland, in the Big Ten Championship game against Nebraska, Dec. 1, 2012.
Since I began broadcasting the Badgers football games, there have been a few players who have really stood out. Chris Borland was one of these. His preparation was always a cut above, and he was consistently in the right place, playing with a controlled recklessness indicative of a standout linebacker.
That is why I was so surprised when news broke a few months ago that Chris had decided to retire from the NFL after a stellar rookie year. He was leaving the game he loved due to concerns about head injuries.
Ten years ago, concussions were not even part of the league’s vernacular. It was still considered “getting your bell rung.” Concussions were not an injury; they were something you fought your way through.
During my 11 years with the Packers, I rarely thought of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a progressive degenerative brain disease found in athletes with a history of repeat head trauma) until congressional hearings brought the issue of sports-related concussions to the forefront. Even then, I did not reflect on the dangers like Chris did.
But times change, and now we know more about the dangers of head injuries. I was eager to hear more from Chris about how he came to his difficult decision and what he plans for his future. He sat down with us for an exclusive interview in late April.
Mark Tauscher: I cannot say how much I respect how you thought this through. What’s fascinating to me about your story is that during the time you were preparing to be a high draft pick, teams were asking you all these questions, and you were forced to reflect. They’re psychologically getting into you....
Chris Borland: At that point, I wasn’t thinking about walking away. I had dedicated nine years of my life to one thing. I was doing everything I could to get a job in the NFL. I wanted to know what it’s like to play against Peyton Manning on Sunday Night Football. I realized that dream eventually, and I’m really glad I did. You can relate. There’s a big job at hand, and it’s demanding.
I agree. When you’re out there playing, you’re going to do everything you can to stay on the field, and you’re going to lie in order to do that.
My goal was to be a Hall of Fame player. And I didn’t take that lightly. I know — well, I don’t know — but I can imagine how much goes into it. But after I got hammered by fullback Will Tukuafu in training camp, I didn’t know if I wanted to do what it takes to be a great player.
Was your heart telling you to keep playing, and your head was saying this isn’t smart? Or did the head start talking to your heart?
My heart was fully with football, so I think I was emotionally trying to convince myself to play one more year, then three more years, and then....
...get a pension.
Yeah. But that, to me, is a total sellout move. I get why people do it, but if I become a football player, I want to be the best. I just felt uncomfortable hanging on just to get by. I didn’t want to pass up a goal line hit just to
preserve my health.
When you were playing, that never entered your mind, did it?
No way. I wanted to play with reckless abandon, and if I couldn’t do that, then I wouldn’t play.
I don’t know if you remember this, but in 2009 [Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback] Ben Rothlisberger missed a game because of a concussion, and Hines Ward [an All-Pro wide receiver for Pittsburgh at the time] basically came out and called him soft, like he couldn’t believe Rothlisberger was going to miss that game. And the blowback from that, which now would be intense, was nothing back then. Actually, more people were siding with what Hines had to say, and that was the feeling in locker rooms, too. You can’t miss a game because of getting dinged up.
I knew I was going to pay a price. We all do.
What it comes down to is that most guys are just not as reflective as you. The big question, if you’re talking to former players, especially older guys like me, is the money issue. You left a lot of money on the table, obviously. Do you feel like you put nine years of wear and tear on your body and now you’re not able to reap the benefits by playing in the NFL?
The money’s great. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thrilled when I got a check with $300,000 written on it.
How’d you feel turning that big check back in?
I’m still going through that. Some interesting things about the financial aspect of this will come out in time. I can’t really get into it now. That said, I violated the contract. So there’s not even a question of whether it’s [the San Francisco 49ers’] money.
How do you ever change that conversation about money? Because you’re viewing your salary in the NFL as blood money. Is that accurate? You’re selling a piece of your soul for money.
[Long pause] You’re selling your body for money. There are no certainties here. There’s enough that scares me for me to make a pragmatic decision. But there’s a gap between the correlation and the causation, and until the causation is scientifically proven — and it’s really difficult to scientifically prove anything — I can’t say anything is for certain. We’re in that gray area.
How do you respond to somebody who says to you, “You know what? You already put nine, 10 years of banging and constant thumping in. You could already be damaged.” Say what you want about football players, they love the game. But if these guys were making $20 grand a year, nobody would be doing it.”
To a man, every football player you ask would say I love the game. But fans get the idea that these guys are gladiators and warriors who live to play every week, and they aren’t. Human beings are not meant to play professional football. So it’s a cost-benefits analysis. I know I’m from a middle-class white family in the suburbs, so my cost-benefits analysis will be different than some of my teammates and friends, and I respect that. There are healthy guys who’ve played for a long time.
Let’s say the NFL gave you a forum: “Chris Borland, you are now head of NFL safety.” What message would you try to get out to the players?
Let’s be candid about all of the worst possible things that can happen. Let’s discuss CTE in depth and the effect Toradol and other painkillers have on the brain. Just talk about it all. I think the NFL could address the entire truth and still have a league of guys who would play.
No doubt. I wanted to play as long as I could.
Progress is being made. Immediately, there are steps that can be taken. I like the idea of a hit count. We’re going to hurt the game a little bit, but we’re also going to protect the core of the game — which is the players — a lot more.
Do you feel fulfilled with your football life? For me, I played as long as I could, and you made the conscious decision to leave. You don’t look at your career as unfinished, do you?
I’m glad I proved to myself I could play at the highest level. I will always think about what it would have been like had I seen it completely through.
Was it harder to leave because you had so much success? You were one of the best rookies in the NFL last year.
I think that made it easier. I proved to myself and others that I could play at the highest level of the game. That’s huge, and I’m not going to regret it. But I’ll miss playing. I’ve played in front of 110,000 people. And when I made a big hit and that crowd roared? I would watch film the next day — and it had nothing to do with my head — but I wouldn’t remember losing my mind and screaming and yelling to celebrate that hit. It was just so intense.
