Sports medicine stats: Head impacts in high school football
Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina. He loves discussing and writing about sports & exercise injuries,
and has been featured in major media publications over 1,200 times throughout his career.
A study measuring the number and magnitude of head impacts occurring during a single season of high school football found: Athletes experienced a mean of 774 impacts during the 15-week season or approximately 50 impacts per athlete per week. Linemen sustained the highest number of impacts per athlete (1076 ± 541), followed by the tight end/running back/linebacker group (779 ± 286), the wide receiver/cornerback/safety group (417 ± 266), and quarterbacks. Games resulted in significantly more impacts than contact and noncontact practices and that contact practices yielded significantly more impacts than noncontact practices.
Source: American Journal of Sports Medicine December 2013
Through the stories of a dozen athletes whose injuries and recovery advanced the field (including Joan Benoit, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, and Tommy John), Dr. Geier explains how sports medicine makes sports safer for the pros, amateurs, student-athletes, and weekend warriors alike.
A study measuring the number and magnitude of head impacts occurring during a single season of high school football found: Athletes experienced a mean of 774 impacts during the 15-week season or approximately 50 impacts per athlete per week. Linemen sustained the highest number of impacts per athlete (1076 ± 541), followed by the tight end/running back/linebacker group (779 ± 286), the wide receiver/cornerback/safety group (417 ± 266), and quarterbacks. Games resulted in significantly more impacts than contact and noncontact practices and that contact practices yielded significantly more impacts than noncontact practices.