TEXT ON SCREEN: HE’S BEEN CALLED THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN FOOTBALL.

CHRIS BORLAND, EX-LINEBACKER, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

HE’S DANGEROUS NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT HE’S DOING ON THE FIELD. BUT WHAT HE’S SAYING OFF IT.

CHRIS BORLAND: I am walking away from a lot of money, and I’m gonna have to pay back some money, but I’ll have a lot longer, happier life because of this decision, I’m sure.

TEXT ON SCREEN: IN MARCH 2015, HE QUIT AFTER ONLY ONE SEASON.

CHRIS BORLAND: There was an incident, just a mild concussion, and it kinda changed the way I viewed the risks of the game.

ARCHIVAL:
NEWS REPORT: Whether or not you agree with Borland’s announcement, it does have the NFL world talking about brain injuries on the playing field.

CHRIS BORLAND: If you’re down on field level, just the sounds. If you close your eyes and turn your back to the field, you can still hear the collisions. Certainly creates a deeper appreciation of how violent it is.

TEXT ON SCREEN: BORLAND IS NOW A RESEARCH SUBJECT AS SCIENTISTS TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFECTS OF FOOTBALL ON THE BRAIN.

HE SIGNED UP FOR THE STUDY JUST MONTHS AFTER HIS LAST NFL GAME.

CHRIS BORLAND: I’ve had a PET scan done, some blood work done, an EKG, a cognitive exam and a history of my injuries, and some interviews. So it’s been a busy few days.

TEXT ON SCREEN: WHILE BORLAND SAYS HE IS NOT ANTI-FOOTBALL, HE’S NOT AN ADVOCATE FOR IT, EITHER.

CHRIS BORLAND: It is interesting for me to have people say they admire my decision – on their way into a football game.

I think football players are used to downplaying the severity of whatever they have wrong with them just because it’s the culture.  They’re complicit in those statements of, oh, I’m fine, when really they might not be.

The best response I’ve gotten is from guys who are still in the game. They pretty much say, I get it, and good luck, and you do your thing. And that tells me something, too.

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