The perpetual stream of concussion lawsuits, with nearly 1,200 former players now part of the effort, has diluted the focus that otherwise would apply to the specific players who are making claims.
And so, with new access to the current master list of all plaintiffs, I decided to go through the list and mention here any player whose name rings a bell.
First, some context. I’ve been following the NFL closely since 1973, and I bought hundreds of Topps football cards from ’73 through ’78 or so. Thus, the names that ring a bell for me may not ring a bell for everyone else. But if I type all 1,200 names: (1) I’ll have carpal tunnel syndrome; and (2) the recognizable names will get lost in the shuffle.
So here goes.
Chidi Ahanotu, Roc Alexander, Eric Allen, Alfred Anderson, Ottis Anderson, Reidel Anthony, Bob Avellini, Brian Baldinger, John Banaszak, Jerome Barkum, Kevan Barlow, Reggie Barlow, Lem Barney, Steve Bartkowski, Brian Baschnagel, Mike Bass, Aaron Beasley, Don Beebe, Lyle Blackwood, Brian Blades, Brent Boyd, Melvin Bratton, Vaughn Broadnax, John Brodie, Chad Brown, Dan Buenning, Norm Buliach, Jarrod Bunch, Jeff Burris, Ken Burrow, Leroy Butler, Keith Byars, John Cappelletti, Roger Carr, Dale Carter, Scott Case, Chris Chambers, Chatric Darby, Darrin Chiaverini, Raymond Clayborn, Ben Coates, Garry Cobb, Scott Conover, Quentin Coryatt, Terry Cousin, Jimbo Covert, Joe Cribbs, Henri Crockett.
Lional Dalton, Wendell Davis, Joe DeLamielleure, Conrad Dobler, Tony Dorsett, Troy Drayton, Shane Dronett, David Duerson, A.J. Duhe, Mark Duper, Dusty Dvoracek, Kenny Easley, Kalimba Edwards, Bert Emanuel, Kevin Everett, Steve Everitt, Terry Fair, Joe Ferguson, Steve Foley, Barry Foster, John Fourcade, Tim Fox, Rocky Freitas, David Fulcher, Mike Furrey, Oronde Gadsden, Scott Galbraith, Dennis Gentry, Jammi German, Jimmie Giles, Leo Goeas, Kurt Goveia, Randy Gradishar, Mel Gray, Hugh Green, Jacquez Green, Jake Grove, Carl Hairston, Darren Hambrick, Troy Hambrick, Rodney Hampton, Terry Hanratty, Al Harris, Cliff Harris, Kwame Harris, Dale Hellestrae, Wally Hilgenberg, Mike Horan, Joe Horn, Ethan Horton, Ken Huff, Maurice Hurst, Heath Irwin, Harold Jackson,Vestee Jackson, Kendyl Jacox, Jim Jeffcoat, Izel Jenkins, Jim Jodat, Rob Johnson, Hassan Jones, Seth Joyner, Isaiah Kacyvenski, Joe Kapp, Alex Karras, Leroy Kelly, Lincoln Kennedy, Kenny King, Sammy Knight, Paul Krause.
Bruce Laird, Le-Lo Lang, Lamar Lathon, Teddy Lehman, Dorsey Levens, D.D. Lewis, Frank Lewis, Jamal Lewis, Greg Lloyd, Chip Lohmiller, Nicholas Luchey, Bob Lurtsema, Reno Mahe, Tony Mandarich, Todd Marinovich, Leonard Marshall, Rod Martin, Lonnie Marts, Shane Matthews, Fred McCrary, Tim McKyer, Jim McMahon, Fred McNeill, Lance Mehl, Mike Merriweather, Terry Metcalf, Stanley Morgan, Zefross Moss, Edwin Mulitalo, Darrin Nelson, Tommy Nobis, Brent Novoselsky, Ken Oxendine, Mike Pagel, Sirr Parker, Bernard Parrish, Jerome Pathon, Dave Pear, Christian Peter, Scott Player, Jethro Pugh, Jack Squirek, Wali Rainer, Fuad Reviez, Reginald Rucker, Mark Rypien, Sean Salisbury, Fred Smerlas, Jack Snow, Jesse Solomon, Mike Stonebreaker, Daniel Stubbs, Patrick Surtain, Jack Tatum, Lamar Thomas, John Tice, Mick Tinglehoff, Jeremiah Trotter, Kyle Turley, Phil Villapiano, Chris Walsh, Curt Warner, Joe Washington, Charlie Waters, Fred Williamson, Garo Yepremian.
That’s only 184 of 1,186 names. And they come from every decade of the past 50 years, and every position. Including kickers and punters.
Clearly, the NFL has a problem.