In the wake of the ruling on the death of Texas-based mixed martial artist Sammy Vasquez's death, PunchDrunkGamer.com writer Justin Bolduc wrote a very interesting article detailing fatalities in professional sports.

I found the following passage extremely illuminating:

*Between 1931 and 2006 the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research listed 1,002 deaths in organized American football (professional, college, high school, etc) as a direct result of the sport, while 674 fatalities occurred indirectly. The deaths directly attributable to organized American football average 13.36 per year for the 75 year span covered. However it is notable that the trend has fallen, with only one direct death accounted for in all of 2006. Injuries in football are common and include concussions, fractured bones, ligament and tendon damage, and in extreme circumstances paralysis.

Click here to read the article in its entirety.

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Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com