which is between moderate and morbidly obese. A 2006 Scripps Howard newspapers survey of the deaths of 3,850 pro football players over the last century found that the heaviest players were more than twice as likely as lighter players to have died before reaching their 50th birthday.

The cardiologist and co-chairman of the NFL’s sub-committee on cardiovascular health, Professor Robert Vogel of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, noted that “The simple answer is, being physically active is unquestionably a deterrent to the problems associated with weight. Having said that, are you at higher risk being a 350-pound lineman rather than a 210-pound quarterback ? Yes.” But is it now necessary to weigh in at over 300 pounds to play professional football ? Because of what I see with the complications of excess body weight and morbid obesity here at ABRAMS LANDAU after our own car accident or truck crash clients, the answer is obvious, that “super size” makes recovery from injury and disease more difficult. Plus, superior athletic skills can neutralize extreme size on te gridiron. Noted Jerry Kramer, the Green Bay Packers All-Pro Guard in the 1960s, “Fat doesn’t make you strong and quick. It makes you heavy. Muscle makes you strong. We’ve gotten enamored with the 300-pounder, but give me an offensive guard who’s in great shape at 270 or 275 and understands leverage and positioning, and I’ll bet he’ll whip the fat guy every time.”