Was this posted? This sounds scary as hell : http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/f...t-brain-surgery-s?blockID=974531&feedID=11407 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Texans LB Tarpinian kept brain surgery secret for 2 years LOUIS OJEDA JR. | Published: Thursday, December 26, 2013, 2:47am It's difficult to keep a secret in sports nowadays, but Houston Texans linebacker Jeff Tarpinian did for two years. During his rookie season in November 2011 with the New England Patriots, Tarpinian was placed on injured reserve with a "head injury." That injury was recently revealed as cavernous malformation and he underwent brain surgery to remove a collection of abnormal blood vessels, according to a report by the Houston Chronicle. Tarpinian only told those close to him, Patriots coach Bill Belichick, and team owner Bob Kraft at the time. "I kept it quiet," Tarpinian said. "I didn't really say anything because obviously future employers in the NFL, they hear brain surgery and it'll freak them out." He was forced to have the procedure after tests discovered the cause of a 30-second post-practice blackout during the season. But Tarpinian was relieved it wasn't a torn ligament or any other common career-ending injury. "My logic was because it was the brain, at least it's not a knee - at least the recovery will be better," Tarpinian said. "I thought I'd wake up and I'd be fine. … I couldn't have been more wrong. It was horrible logic." One other factor about the surgery concerned him. "I had long hair and ended up having to cut it all off, so that was devastating," he joked. Tarpinian signed with the Texans in October, and although the team has struggled this season, he's thankful to be back on the field.
This is insane. Did he really think having brain surgery was less likely to endanger his career than knee surgery!?!? And I do understand that he means in a football sense but REALLY! Having brain surgery is probably only second to having heart surgery in my book. You could recover and not have any issues, but when you're plowing your head into 220 lb men at about 240 lbs yourself at full speed about 10 times a game (probably more) that has to be a little concerning, no?
Although he undoubtedly loves football, I'm more than sure that if the doctors told him he risked further serious injury to his head that he would have hung it up instantly. That's a man's life we're talking about. Some things are more important than football. And he knew that.
Once the chunk of his scull that they removed has fully grown back, you are fine in that regard in the same way that a broken leg that has healed doesn't tend to be more susceptible to breakage. The brain is the same lump of mush before and after. The big concern is what the surgeons break while they are in there poking around. He had surgery in his cranium, but really it was vascular surgery where the surgeons had to work around h is brain. He basically had the surgery that Jeff Green had, but in his head, not his chest. Green doesn't have to especially worry about his chest splitting open and spewing blood if he bumps someone too hard in the post.
I have met him and have mutual friends... That being said, I don't think some of his friends even knew this. I can believe that NFL teams would be afraid of players with numerous or severe head injuries.
Mcnair wants so much for Robert Craft to be his buddy that it's probably the only reason why this kid is on our roster. Mcnair is a 2nd rate owner folks.
I doubt that most would argue with this statement but your post really has no relevance to this thread. How is picking up a player that used to play for the Patriots attempting to become his buddy? If anything McNair wants to screw Craft over, which is evidenced by his signing of Ed Reed.
"I need brain surgery? Thank God it's not my knee." There are going to be big changes in football in the next ten years, as more and more people realize that the culture sacrifices the minds of human beings so that we can keep trotting their genetic freak bodies out on the field for our entertainment.
Not saying there won't be changes but I wonder if there is history of player suicides, depression, even players mudering people in other "violent" sports such as rugby or Aussie Rules Football or do those players go on to lead "normal" lives after retiring? Something tells me our culture and the culture of sports in America, where players are essentially demi-gods during their career is just as responsible for some of the tragedies as head injuries; but hey, something's got to take the fall, right?
I think I understand what you're saying, but I'm not sure. Of course there's a history of suicide, depression, and murder. We ask people to put their minds and bodies at risk for money. And also to ram their brains into things. Punch-drunk boxers, brain-damaged soccer players who hit the ball with their heads one too many times, etc., just to add to your list. Michael Jordan (demi-god) = gambling/cheating on his wife *******: brain intact. Contact matters.
Yes indeed the funniest post I've read today! Ha ha ha :grin: On a more serious note, happy for Tarpinian and I hope he comes back next season. He is a good back up.
The thing he had taken out is going to be better for him in the long run. (It's basically a mass of veins and arteries that gives you a worse chance for an aneurysm) It's bad to hide this from his employers, but it shouldn't be a problem for playing. Getting a concussion might be worse for him though...
