Darryl Stingley, the New England Patriots’ wide receiver who became a paraplegic after suffering a career-ending neck and spinal cord injury in 1978, died in a Chicago-area hospital Thursday from pneumonia and complications as a result of his injury. The Chicago native was 55 years old.
Stingley is one of those few athletes who will leave behind a legacy to his sport that has nothing to do with records, achievements, talent or his love of the game. His legacy to pro football is the rules changes the league made in the aftermath of his injury that protects players on the field. It is sad that Stingley had to suffer in order to make the game better for other players. Despite these rules changes, however, there will always be an element of risk for those who play the game. Football will always be an aggressive sport – that’s simply the nature of the game. There aren’t enough rules or pads or helmets to protect the players.
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