The aspect of the #WeAreUnited campaign among Pac-12 athletes which has near-universal support from the public — and journalists, and outside commentators — is the need for health-care protections to be given to college football players and any other athletes being asked to play in a pandemic.
I talked to Arizona State offensive lineman Cody Shear for nearly half an hour this past Sunday. This is personal for Cody, as you can see here below:
As far as the post-career health insurance, that felt like something I needed to step forward and talk about. My uncle (Tim Shear) played football for the University of Oregon in the Pac-10 back then in the late ’90s — 1998 through 2001. Coming out of high school he was one of the highest-recruited linebackers in the country. He had offers all over, he could have gone to school wherever he wanted to; he chose the University of Oregon. He definitely had the talent and the aspirations to go to the NFL.
“Unfortunately his career was cut short due to excessive concussions, multiple concussions. Instead of potentially using his skills to get to the next level and getting the NFL check that everyone dreams of, his career was cut short. He was stuck with insurance bills and covering medical expenses by himself. He still has to live with concussion-related injuries to this day. If he gets one more the doctors told him… it could be extremely dangerous to him. He’s got three little girls and a wife at home. I just think that’s something that hit me and made me want to step forward and talk about this.”
Plenty of people will have debates and especially strong disagreements about the economic dimensions of the Pac-12 athletes’ demands toward the conference and the NCAA, but you won’t hear much of any opposition — certainly not fierce or vocal resistance — to the idea that athletes need to be given expansive care at no cost to them or their families.