LeBron James, in addition to once being a superstar high school basketball player, was almost equally impressive on the football field, an all-state wide receiver playing for St. Vincent–St. Mary’s in Akron. He has often spoken about his love of the game, but LeBron’s own two sons — both basketball prodigies — don’t play football. When asked why, LeBron said, “I needed a way out. My kids don’t need a way out. They’re all right. I needed a way out when I was a kid. I tried to do whatever it took to get out. That’s my excuse.”

Similar lines are often heard from NFL players in recent years: words to the effect of, “I play so my kid doesn’t have to play.” These days, I am finishing a book with Seattle Seahawk Michael Bennett called Things That Make White People Uncomfortable and his thoughts on this subject certainly match the title. He says without equivocation that if he had a son — Bennett has three daughters — he wouldn’t want him in the NFL.

“Trying to become a pro football player creates its own version of PTSD,” he said to me, “It’s like no other sport because whether it’s the chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), or an addiction to the violence . . . I just know too many people who leave the game and get so depressed or so confused because they don’t know who they are when it’s all done. It’ll make you cry to see some of these former players behind closed doors and I don’t know any other sport that does that.”