The question is, why are we seeing so many head/neck injuries in football? Obviously football is a contact sport and there are hundreds of violent collisions every game. These players are very massive and move at high velocities, meaning they generate a large amount of momentum that is transferred between the players during a collision. Injuries are going to happen. Now, I have never played or coached football, I've only worked with football teams as an athletic trainer, and I watch a lot of football. Through my observations, it seems that many football players attempt to make tackles, or attempt to "run into" a tackler with their necks in a flexed position (think about looking down). This is the worst possible position for the neck to be in during a collision. Cervical (neck) flexion removes the natural curvature from the cervical spine, and places the vertebrae in direct alignment. When the head makes contact with another person, the force is transferred from the head straight down the vertebrae, essentially creating a domino effect. If there is enough force, an injury such as a cervical vertebrae fracture can occur, which can potentially damage the spinal cord.
I do not think there is a simple solution to this problem. The best way to avoid this injury would be to tackle with the head up, or to teach the defender to be able to see the person they are tackling. I've seen several examples of defenders "launching" themselves headfirst into the offensive player. However, I think a lot of these players have been tackling with their heads down for so long, that it is a difficult habit to break, especially in heat of the game when they have to make a play. Hopefully improvements will continue to be made to equipment and more research will be conducted to help answer these questions.
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