National Center for Catastrophic
    Sport Injury Research
Data Tables
Annual Survey of Catastrophic Football Injuries
1977 - 2007



Director:  Frederick O. Mueller, Ph.D.
Medical Director:  Robert C. Cantu, M. D.
Research Funded by a Grant from the
National Collegiate Athletic Association


CERVICAL CORD INJURIES 1977 - 2007*

 

 

 

PRO AND

HIGH

 

 

YEAR

SANDLOT

SEMI-PRO

SCHOOL

COLLEGE

TOTAL

1977

0

0

10

2

12

1978

0

1

13

0

14

1979

0

0

8

3

11

1980

0

0

11

2

13

1981

1

0

6

2

9

1982

1

1

7

2

11

1983

0

0

11

1

12

1984

1

0

6

0

7

1985

0

0

6

3

9

1986

0

0

4

0

4

1987

0

0

9

0

9

1988

0

0

10

1

11

1989

0

1

12

2

15

1990

0

0

11

2

13

1991

0

1

1

0

2

1992

0

1

6

0

7

1993

0

1

8

0

9

1994

0

0

1

1

2

1995

0

0

8

1

9

1996

0

0

6

3

9

1997

0

1

7

1

9

1998

0

0

4

0

4

1999

1

0

8

1

10

2000

0

0

6

2

8

2001

0

0

8

0

8

2002

0

0

5

1

6

2003

0

1

9

1

11

2004

1

1

10

0

12

2005

0

0

3

0

3

2006

0

0

8

2

10

2007

1

1

6

0

8

TOTAL

6

10

229

33

278

*Figures are update annually due to new cases investigated after publication.


INCIDENCE PER 100,000 PARTICIPANTS 1977 - 2007*

 

 

HIGH

 

YEAR

SCHOOL

COLLEGE

1977

0.77

2.67

1978

1.00

0.00

1979

0.62

4.00

1980

0.85

2.67

1981

0.46

2.67

1982

0.54

2.67

1983

0.85

1.33

1984

0.46

0.00

1985

0.46

4.00

1986

0.31

0.00

1987

0.69

0.00

1988

0.77

1.33

1989

0.80

2.66

1990

0.73

2.66

1991

0.07

0.00

1992

0.40

0.00

1993

0.53

0.00

1994

0.07

1.33

1995

0.47

1.33

1996

0.40

4.00

1997

0.47

1.33

1998

0.27

0.00

1999

0.53

1.33

2000

0.40

2.66

2001

0.53

0.00

2002

0.33

1.33

2003

0.60

1.33

2004

0.67

0.00

2005

0.20

0.00

2006

0.53

2.66

2007

0.40

0.00

*From 1977-1988 based on 1,300,000 High School - Junior High School Players and 75,000 College Players.  In 1989 High School and Junior High School Figure increased to 1,500,000.


OFFENSIVE VS. DEFENSIVE FOOTBALL 1977 - 2007*

 

YEAR

OFFENSIVE

DEFENSIVE

UNKNOWN

TOTAL

1977

0

7

5

12

1978

2

11

1

14

1979

1

5

5

11

1980

3

8

2

13

1981

3

5

1

9

1982

3

8

0

11

1983

2

10

0

12

1984

1

5

1

7

1985

1

8

0

9

1986

0

3

1

4

1987

1

6

2

9

1988

2

9

0

11

1989

0

14

1

15

1990

2

11

0

13

1991

1

1

0

2

1992

2

3

2

7

1993

0

7

2

9

1994

0

2

0

2

1995

0

6

3

9

1996

1

6

2

9

1997

4

5

0

9

1998

1

3

0

4

1999

3

7

0

10

2000

3

5

0

8

2001

0

4

4

8

2002

0

5

1

6

2003

1

9

1

11

2004

1

10

1

12

2005

2

1

0

3

2006

3

5

2

10

2007

3

4

1

8

TOTAL

46

193

39

278

*Figures updated with availability of new information.


CATASTROPHIC INJURIES 1977 - 2007
TYPE OF ACTIVITY

 

ACTIVITY

NUMBER

PERCENT

Tackling

107

38.5

Tackling Head Down

61

21.9

Tackling on Punt

4

1.4

Tackling on Kick-Off

14

5.0

Tackled

25

9.0

Tackled on Kick-Off

3

1.1

Collision

8

2.9

Blocking on Kick

4

1.4

Blocking on Kick-off

3

1.1

Blocking

5

1.8

Contact After Interception

2

0.7

Blocked

4

1.4

Hitting Tacklematic Machine

1

0.4

Drill Hit Indoor Wall

1

0.4

Drill

2

0.7

Unknown

33

11.9

TOTAL

278

100.0


CATASTROPHIC INJURIES 1977 - 2007
POSITION PLAYED

 

POSITION

NUMBER

PERCENT

Defensive Back

96

34.5

Kick-Off Team

24

8.6

Defensive Line

11

4.0

Linebacker

26

9.4

Kick-Off Return

11

4.0

Defensive End

6

2.2

Offensive Back

13

4.7

Quarterback

9

3.2

Flanker

2

0.7

Wide Receiver

6

2.2

Punt Coverage

3

1.1

Punt Return

1

0.4

Drill 

5

1.8

Offensive Lineman

5

1.8

Unknown

59

21.2

TOTAL

278

100.0


CEREBRAL INJURIES 1984 - 2007*
INCOMPLETE RECOVERY

 

 

 

PRO AND

HIGH

 

 

YEAR

SANDLOT

SEMI-PRO

SCHOOL

COLLEGE

TOTAL

1984

0

0

5

2

7

1985

0

0

4

1

5

1986

0

0

2

0

2

1987

0

0

2

0

2

1988

0

0

4

0

4

1989

0

0

6

0

6

1990

0

0

2

0

2

1991

0

0

3

1

4

1992

0

0

4

0

4

1993

0

0

5

0

5

1994

0

0

4

1

5

1995

0

0

4

0

4

1996

0

0

5

0

5

1997

0

0

7

1

8

1998

0

0

4

0

4

1999

0

0

4

0

4

2000

0

0

6

1

7

2001

0

0

2

0

2

2002

0

0

1

1

2

2003

0

0

8

1

9

2004

0

0

2

1

3

2005

1

0

3

1

5

2006

0

0

6

0

6

2007

0

0

4

0

4

TOTAL

1

0

98

11

110

*Figures are update annually due to new cases investigated after publication.


CATASTROPHIC INJURIES 2007*
COMPLETE RECOVERY

 

 

 

HIGH 

 

 

INJURY

SANDLOT

PRO

SCHOOL

COLLEGE

TOTAL

Brain

0

0

4

2

6

Cervical Spine Fracture

1

4

9

4

18

Severe Concussion

0

0

1

0

1

Transient

0

0

4

0

4

FX Transverse Process

0

1

0

1

2

Spinal Concussion

0

1

0

1

2

FX Lower Back

0

0

1

0

1

TOTAL

1

6

19

7

33

*Researchers realize that this data may not be complete due to the difficulty of receiving non-disability injury information.

Last updated:  May 1, 2007