Football players with Scoliosis cover former Pittsburgh Steelers Linebacker Ryan Shazier and Tennessee Vols Placekicker Robert Loudermilk.
Scoliosis means a slight sideway curve on the spine. It is usually a C-shaped or S-shaped curve.
A severe case can make a person disabled. An extreme curvature shortens the gap between the chest and squeezes the lungs, making breathing extremely difficult.
Uneven shoulders, uneven waist, jutted ribcage, and one hip higher than the other are some of its symptoms.
Mayo Clinic states cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as its root causes among adults. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the Mayo Clinic cannot pinpoint its exact cause among children and teens.
Many have reported a mutual consensus of having no exact cure for the condition. However, spinal alignment and bracing can help correct the spinal posture and do not allow the situation to worsen.
This condition is quite rare in the NFL, and there are not any active players who have been diagnosed with this disease.
Ryan Shazier
NFL players with Scoliosis feature Ryan Shazier who is a former linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers drafted him in 2014.
The 31-year-old hails from Lauderdale Lakes, Florida. He graduated high school from Plantation High School in Plantation, Florida.
As a high schooler, he had a curvature of the spine. It was one of the adversities that he faced in his life.
Likewise, when he was five, he was diagnosed with alopecia. It made him lose all his hair, and he has been bald ever since.
It added another adversity in his life as he was subject to teasing and bullying.
But, despite all the circumstances, he fought back and played football.
Life with Football
Ryan initially decided to join the University of Florida to play under the then-head coach, Urban Meyer. But Meyer resigned, and he changed his mind.
He committed to the Ohio State University. Jim Tressel left five months into Shazier’s first year, and Meyer joined the Buckeyes.
He played 39 games in three years and made 217 total tackles. He recorded 210 solo tackles and 107 assists.
He made the First Team All-American in 2013 and First-team All-Big Ten in 2012 and 2013.
After the 2013 college football season, he entered the 2014 NFL Draft and was selected by the Steelers.
He got a chance in nine matches with five starts in his rookie year. He tackled 24 times and assisted 12 times.
A year later, in 2015, he became a regular starter and started 36 games from 2015-2017. He recorded 293 combined tackles with 178 solo tackles. The LB also made seven interceptions.
2017’s Spinal Injury
On December 4, 2017, the LB was on the receiving end of a head-on tackle when they played the Cincinnati Bengals. It severely injured his back.
He was unable to move his legs and suffered a spinal contusion. After the initial examination, the doctors informed his parents that he had a 20 percent chance of standing on his feet.
The two-time Pro Bowler had his spinal stabilization surgery on December 6, 2017.
His sheer determination and strong willpower helped him in his recovery path. Only two months after the accident, he started walking with a cane or walker.
Likewise, he walked onto the NFL Draft Stage on April 26, 2018, proving the doctors wrong.
Robert Loudermilk
Robert Loudermilk was the Placekicker for the Tennessee Volunteers from 1996 to 1999. He saw limited time on the field.
His medical history is not public, but he was on the list of athletes with scoliosis prepared by Strauss Scoliosis Correction.
Another young footballer who had this condition was Bethany Malloy. At 12, she was diagnosed with a spinal condition.
Back pain was earliest recorded, which did not go away after multiple chiropractor visits. Her actual state was revealed only after attending and testing at the Shriners Hospital for Children of Northern California in Sacramento.
There appeared to be 20-degree and 30-degree curves on the bottom and top of her spine. Malloy followed up with a 23-hour bracing treatment. It only came off while attending physical education class.
She participated in basketball games with the bracing. The proper treatment at the earliest age helped her overcome scoliosis.
At fifteen, she played junior varsity football for the Durham High School.
Famous Athletes with Scoliosis History
Various reputed sportspersons once had scoliosis. They got their treatment and made a name for themselves in their respective fields.
Here are some names:
- Lamar Gant – Weightlifting
- Usain Bolt – Athletics
- Sarah Michelle Geller – Actress
- Elizabeth Taylor – Actress
- Maritza Correia – Swimmer
- Rene Russo – Actor, model, producer
- Shailene Woodley – Actress
- Scott Jurke – Ultramarathon runner
- Jenny Thompson – Swimmer
- Dudley Hart – Golfer
- Angel Di Maria – Soccer player
- Thiago Silva – Soccer player
- Ruben Loftus-Cheek – Soccer player
- Chiellini – Soccer player
- Chanelle Johnson – Dancer
- Alexander Marinescu – Gymnast
- Katie Webb – Golfer
- Jeanette Lee – Pool player
- James Blake – Tennis player
- Katie Spell – Volleyball player
Can You Play Football With Scoliosis?
Yes, you can participate in football games with scoliosis. Those with this medical condition can engage in other physical activities.
However, sufferers must not indulge in stressful engagements that are highly likely to worsen the condition. One with scoliosis should refrain from impact injuries at all costs.
No contact football can be played, but physical and aggressive football is not advised.
If anyone with this medical condition partakes in stressful physical activity like gridiron, one can be assured that they will avoid falls, collisions, or speedy bumps. The hard ground and the contact of fall will indeed have adverse effects.
All the above-mentioned scenarios are enough to cause damage to the joints along with spinal injuries. It also regresses any recovery chance and further implies the risk of degenerative disorder.
Cycling, swimming, cross-country skiing, strength training, and core muscle exercise are beneficial.
Meanwhile, the risky sports and activities include ballet, gymnastics, long lump, tennis, skating, javelin, other impact sports, and those activities that compress the spine.