NFL players on average have played hard hitting football against full grown, strong powerful men for and average of eight years ( four in college and an average of four more in the NFL). Wonder what their life expectancy is compared to age matched controls who did not play football. All that trauma must take a cumulative toll. IMHO college players should get paid and the pro players should get all they can from the owners.
Explain then, men who played football in the 1960s thru 80s and are still fine.