TULSA, Okla. -
In the immortal words of legendary coach Duffy Daugherty, "Football isn't a contact sport. It's a collision sport."
It's no secret: The physical nature of the game leads to injuries. It can vary from minor bruises and cuts to things far more severe.
And in such cases as Tulane senior safety Devon Walker's cervical spine fracture, it begs question to parents, "Do you second guess letting your child play football?"
Monday evening at Union High School's football stadium, parents from around the area watched their children perform. While many were open to discussing their outlook on football's safety risks, only a few would do so "on record."
The general consensus was they understood the risks involved are okay with it.
"It's a rough game. You gotta be tough," said Union eighth grade parent Travis Clark. "I don't think there's much more you can do than what they're trying to do."
"I know accidents are still going to happen but honestly, I wouldn't let them play if I was really worried about it," explained DeAndre Dan.
The parents that spoke on camera also happened to be former players back in their high school days. While they accept the injury risk level involved, they also acknowledge the perception of serious injuries occurring more now than when they played.
"Sometimes things can happen when you don't do that, but with this generation, the game is much faster now than when I played," said Union eighth grade parent Harold Cox. "Kids are much bigger, much stronger. Kids are going to have more injuries when they're on the field nowadays."
While Saturday's tragedy shook everyone who witnessed, it's ultimately perceived as a freak occurrence. Which means America's biggest sports passion is still worth the risk.
According to Cox, "You try to send them out there with the best training and that they'll do all the things that they've learned coming through youth football but really... It was just an accident."
