By Michael Isberto |Staff Writer|

Football will continue to exist because people will always be willing to risk their lives for the game.

However, with the recent discussions about current and past player’s health and the new blockbuster movie “Concussion,” people are questioning if football has a future.

“Concussion” revolves around the story of forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu, played by actor Will Smith.

Through his autopsy research, Dr. Omalu discovers neurological deterioration in former NFL player Mike Webster due to football related head injuries.

Dr. Omalu then decides to spread knowledge of the dangers of the game.

“Football is one of the most beautiful games,” said Smith.

“It’s one of the most beautiful sports you will ever watch. It’s the biggest, strongest, fastest, most powerful human bodies on earth. But by the same token, at the same time, it’s dangerous in a way that at a minimum, the information, the reality, and the science of what’s happening, has to be injected for the players who play the game,” Smith continued.

People sharing this information do not seem to want to rid the world of football, but merely shed light on potentially dangerous circumstances.

“I want to be a part of delivering the information,” Smith said. “I think what this film does, is it takes something that’s really complex and really complicated and something that hides in plain sight, and it makes it simple, and digestible and comprehensible.”

It is not a secret; head injuries have always been a part of the game.

Many legendary football players including Troy Aikman, Steve Young and others retired earlier than expected due to head trauma and concussions.

Now, more retired players are coming forward admitting cases of depression, dementia and memory loss—all signs and symptoms of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).

Although the high risk factor of football isn’t a new topic, the recent discussions of health pertaining to the game are a good dialogue starter.

Players and fans deserve to know about CTE and other serious injuries concerning the game.

The recent influx of information circulating is not out to attack the NFL.

It is mainly to inform everyone about the risks of football, and spark changes to help make the game much safer for future players of the sport.

Maybe hearing about the risks will make the subject more real to the people watching.

Particularly those who are involved in the game, like parents who start their kids playing football at an early age.

Due to recent research findings, the 39 rule changes made by the NFL in the last several years were created to limit head injuries.

Some people are questioning if the game of football will be completely different in the near future.

I don’t think so.

Even with the rule changes to protect players from head injuries, American football will always look and feel like the game we have become accustomed to.

There will always be people willing to risk their health and well-being to make a good living.

Coal mining has been around for more than a century, and is regarded as one of the most dangerous and risky jobs around.

Regardless, people have always mined and will continue to do so. And coal mining does not pay anywhere even close to what professional football players make.

Football will live on. People just need to be informed about the life-threatening risks of this national past time.