As former NFL players of the 1980’s and 90’s continue to age, there seems to be a troubling pattern of a rise in neurological disorders amongst players. Now we have the news of a brutal diagnosis for New York Jets legendary player Mark Gastineau.
The New York Daily News had an interview with Gastineau, one in which he revealed a diagnosis of three different diseases — dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Any one of these three by themselves is devastating for the person and his family, but all three of these together are a rare and brutal combination to have to deal with.
Gastineau is just coming forward to the public with these diagnoses after getting the news himself about a year ago.
“You know, my first reaction was that I didn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it,” Gastineau told the Daily News in a phone interview Thursday night. “My second reaction was how can I help other people coming in to the NFL? That’s what it’s all about.”
However, Gastineau seems to be encouraged by the steps taken to change the game. He notes that techniques and teachings at the youth level today along with equipment advances are all good signs of positive changes to the game.
Gastineau also believes the game to be far safer to play today than it was during his career, which lasted from 1979 to 1988. He is now 60 years old, and while some may give up knowing the diagnosis faced, Gastineau continues to push on for the kids of today and tomorrow.
He is still an ambassador for USA Football, and unlike Bo Jackson before him, still would allow his children to play the game today.
“The only reason I would allow my child to play is because of this USAFootball.com,” he said. “I would not allow my child to play if I did not have this Heads Up Football. There’s no way in the world. You cannot expect your child to not be injured if you do not enter this program. If a high school doesn’t have this program, there should not be a program.”
Rather than be bitter about the long-term effects he is dealing with, Gastineau sees this as a chance to do some good on this earth.
“I think that the Lord put me on this Earth to show that you can be a great player, have all the sacks in the world…and at the end of your life you get news like this and you can turn it into bad, or you can turn it into good,” Gastineau told the News.
