At age 30, with five concussions, Ben Utecht battling memory loss

[Big Bid'Ness]

Fromrofootballtalk

Former NFL tight end Ben Utecht says five concussions during his playing days have led to memory loss at the age of 30.

Utecht had two concussions in college at Minnesota, two in the NFL with the Colts, and one in training camp in 2009 with the Bengals. He never fully recovered from that last one and never played football again.

Now Utecht and his wife have opened up to USA Today about the way memory loss has affected him already, and the fears they have that it could get worse.

“Will I experience early-onset dementia in my 50s? Will I experience more issues with amnesia or headaches or behavioral changes? All of these things are consequences of brain injury,” Utecht said. “I think now that I’m aware of them — especially now that I’m the father of three beautiful little girls — it’s definitely in my heart and on my mind. I’d be lying to you if I said it wasn’t.”

Utecht isn’t asking for pity about his lot in life — he’s enjoying his family and has a burgeoning music career — but his wife says she’s concerned about things like the way he forgets appointments and blanks on events that he has attended. He says he’s happy with his life as it is but troubled about the possibility that relatively minor memory loss at age 30 is a very bad sign about what his life will be like at 40, 50 or 60.

“I pray I don’t experience these kinds of situations getting worse,” he says. “That’s why music is so important to me. It gives me hope. I take life as it comes, one day at a time.”

Damn.

 

[Elite]

Yeah, but let's just bash the NFL for saying doing everything they can to prevent this shit and call them a flag football league!

 

[Giantmetfan07]

or the players can just, you know, not play football and pick up a different career.

These are the risks they face when entering the league.

 

[Elite]

or the players can just, you know, not play football and pick up a different career.

These are the risks they face when entering the league.

You don't have to be subjected to losing your memory at age 30 because you want to play in the NFL, sorry, that's bullshit.

 

[elcheato]

Helmet to helmet hits 4 life!!!

 

[.infamous]

The risk you take joining a sport like this. People should know that these can be the consequences of playing this sport.

 

[elcheato]

Just because fans get some sick pleasure in seeing head shots, doesn't mean they should be legal.. There are risks you take when joining the NFL, but players gunning for helmet to helmet hits should not be one of them. This is why the NFL is changing the rules, and they're totally right..

 

[Giantmetfan07]

Its the fucking risks of a contact sport. You think this is the first time people have had this problem in the sport? Because it's not.

Look, I got no problem with punishing helmet-to-helmet hits. Hell, suspend them for all I care. I don't have a problem with the league making sure guys are properly evaluated and checked off following a concussion, before even being allowed back on the field.

People call the league "soft" when guys are fined for making a clean, but extremely hard hit. Sometimes there's not helmet-to-helmet contact, and sometimes there is but completely incidental. That I don't care for being fined or suspended. But we've seen guys get flagged or fined for clean hits or unintentional helmet-to-helmet hits.

 

[elcheato]

What does this guy having 5 concussions have to do with players getting flagged for clean hits? Refs aren't perfect..

 

[Giantmetfan07]

Um, because BC brought up that we bash the NFL for being "soft". My point was we bash the NFL for being soft for much different reasons. When guys go out there head-hunting, I don't think anybody on this site defends the player.

 

[elcheato]

You bash the NFL for being soft, yet you still watch the sport every week.. You're really getting your message and point across here..

They're trying to keep their players safe, and avoid having them become mentally unstable and crippled 10 years after they retire. I see nothing wrong with that.

 

[Giantmetfan07]

i was trying to point out that his "soft" argument is not tied to this scenario. We criticize them being soft for other reasons, not because of head hunting and helmet-to-helmet hits.

Forget it. This is pointless.

 

[elcheato]

I agree, it is pointless. Shocks me that people don't understand the game is in better shape now because of how its being called, and new rules in place. Players will be able to last longer in the NFL. The product is as good as ever.

 

[WHO-DEY-BENGALS_18]

That sucks, I liked Ben. I'm glad the NFL is trying to prevent things such as this from happening, however.