Football players learn to deal with injuries early.
According to the National Athletics Trainers Association, there were over half a million high school football injuries in the U.S. in 1994. Over 40,000 were major injuries, meaning the player couldn't return to activity within 21 days. Five high school players died from injuries sustained while playing during the 1996 season, and 12 other players, including one professional and one college athlete, died while playing football because of heart failure and other medical conditions, according to a study by the University of North Carolina. The decrease is attributed to rules put into effect in the 1970s against using the head in blocking and tackling. Not a whole lot, according to most experts.