In Episode 002 of the Performance Video Essay Series, I examine the ongoing problem of ACL injuries in the NFL. I draw on the expertise of Rob Panariello, Al Miller, Dr. Donald Chu, Al Vermeil, Loren Landow and Dean Kotopski to review all of the possible reasons for an increase in ACL injuries in the NFL over the past 5 years. Over the 20 previous years, the annual average for ACL injuries as approximately 40 per year. This amounts to approximately 1.25 ACL injuries per team per year. Over the last five years, this number has increased to almost 2 ACL injuries per team per year, with a large proportion of them being non-contact injuries.
We discuss the involvement of the playing surfaces, footwear, training methods, the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the evolving rules of the game and specific anatomical issues as it relates to ACL injuries. Needless to say, it is a complex issue that involves a multitude of factors that have to be addressed as a whole. There are no quick fixes.
The Performance Video Essays will be presented on YouTube.com and Vimeo.com regularly and posted on both www.StrengthPowerSpeed.com and www.SprintCoach.com.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.