National Center for Catastrophic
    Sport Injury Research
Data Tables
 Annual Survey of Football Injury Research
1931 - 2007

Director:  Frederick O. Mueller, Ph.D.
Medical Director:  Robert C. Cantu, M. D.

FATALITIES:  DIRECTLY DUE TO FOOTBALL - 1931-2007*



 
 

 
SANDLOT
PRO AND SEMI PRO
HIGH SCHOOL
COLLEGE
TOTAL
YEAR
DIRECT
DIRECT
DIRECT
DIRECT
DIRECT
1931-1965**
134
72
348
54
608
1966
4
0
20
0
24
1967
5
0
16
3
24
1968
4
1
26
5
36
1969
3
1
18
1
23
1970
3
0
23
3
29
1971
2
0
15
3
20
1972
3
1
16
2
22
1973
2
0
7
0
9
1974
0
0
10
1
11
1975
1
0
13
1
15
1976
3
0
15
0
18
1977
1
0
8
1
10
1978
0
0
9
0
9
1979
0
0
3
1
4
1980
0
0
9
0
9
1981
2
0
5
2
9
1982
2
0
7
0
9
1983
0
0
4
0
4
1984
1
0
4
1
6
1985
2
0
4
1
7
1986
0
0
11
1
12
1987
0
0
4
0
4
1988
0
0
7
0
7
1989
0
0
4
0
4
1990
0
0
0
0
0
1991
0
0
3
0
3
1992
0
0
2
0
2
1993
0
0
3
1
4
1994
0
0
0
1
1
1995
0
0
4
0
4
1996
0
0
5
0
5
1997
0
0
6
1
7
1998
0
0
6
1
7
1999
1
0
4
1
6
2000
0
0
3
0
3
2001
1
0
7
0
8
2002
 1
 1
 3
 1
 6
2003
 1
 0
 2
 0
 3
2004
 1
 0
 4
 0
 5
2005
 0
 1
 2
 0
 3
2006
 0
 0
 1
 0
 1
2007
 0
 1
 3
 0
 4
TOTALS
177
78
665
86
1006
*No study was conducted in 1942.
**Yearly totals available from past reports.

FATALITIES:  INDIRECTLY DUE TO FOOTBALL - 1931-2007*



 
 

 
SANDLOT
PRO AND SEMI PRO
HIGH SCHOOL
COLLEGE
TOTAL
YEAR
INDIRECT
INDIRECT
INDIRECT
INDIRECT
INDIRECT
1931-1965**
85
15
159
40
299
1966
0
0
6
2
8
1967
0
0
4
1
5
1968
2
0
8
2
12
1969
3
1
8
3
15
1970
0
0
12
2
14
1971
2
1
7
2
12
1972
0
0
10
1
11
1973
0
0
5
3
8
1974
0
0
5
3
8
1975
2
0
3
3
8
1976
1
0
7
2
10
1977
0
0
6
0
6
1978
0
0
8
1
9
1979
1
0
8
1
10
1980
0
0
4
0
4
1981
0
0
6
0
6
1982
1
0
7
3
11
1983
0
0
6
3
9
1984
0
0
3
0
3
1985
0
0
1
1
2
1986
0
0
6
1
7
1987
0
0
4
3
7
1988
1
0
10
0
11
1989
0
0
9
2
11
1990
0
0
3
3
6
1991
0
0
3
1
4
1992
1
0
9
1
11
1993
0
0
8
1
9
1994
1
0
2
2
5
1995
1
0
7
1
9
1996
0
1
10
1
12
1997
1
0
7
0
8
1998
1
0
6
1
8
1999
1
0
11
0
12
2000
0
0
11
2
13
2001
0
2
10
3
15
2002
 1
 0
 7
 4
 11
2003
 1
 1
 4
 1
 7
2004
 0
 0
 7
 3
 10
2005
 1
 1
 8
 2
 12
2006
 2
 0
 12
 2
 16
2007
 1
 1
 6
 1
 9
TOTALS
110
23
443
107
683
*No study was conducted in 1942.
**Yearly totals available from past reports.

DIRECT FATALITIES INCIDENCE PER 100,000 - 1931-2007*



 
 

YEAR
HIGH SCHOOL
COLLEGE
**1993-1959
 
 
1960
1.78
1.53
1961
1.62
9.23
1962
1.94
0.00
1963
1.94
3.04
1964
2.23
4.56
1965
2.00
1.33
1966
2.00
0.00
1967
1.60
4.00
1968
2.60
6.60
1969
1.64
1.33
1970
1.92
4.00
1971
1.25
4.00
1972
1.33
2.67
1973
0.58
0.00
1974
0.83
1.33
1975
1.08
1.33
1976
1.00
0.00
1977
0.53
1.33
1978
0.60
0.00
1979
0.23
1.33
1980
0.69
0.00
1981
0.38
2.67
1982
0.54
0.00
1983
0.30
0.00
1984
0.30
1.33
1985
0.30
1.33
1986
0.84
1.33
1987
0.30
0.00
1988
0.46
0.00
1989
0.27
0.00
1990
0.00
0.00
1991
0.20
0.00
1992
0.14
0.00
1993
0.20
1.33
1994
0.00
1.33
1995
0.27
0.00
1996
0.33
0.00
1997
0.40
0.00
1998
0.40
1.33
1999
0.27
1.33
2000
0.20
0.00
2001
0.46
0.00
2002
 0.20
 0.00
2003
 0.13
 0.00
2004
 0.27
 0.00
2005
 0.13
 0.00
2006
 0.07
 0.00
2007
 0.20
 0.00
                                                      *No study was conducted in 1942.
                                                        **Yearly totals available from past reports.

                                                        Based on 1,500,000 junior and senior high school players and
                                                                75,000 college players.

HEAT STROKE  FATALITIES 1931-2007*



 
 

YEAR
TOTAL
**1931-1954
0
1955
1
1956-1958
0
1959
4
1960
3
1961
3
1962
5
1963
0
1964
4
1965
6
1966
1
1967
2
1968
5
1969
5
1970
8
1971
4
1972
7
1973
3
1974
1
1975
0
1976
1
1977
1
1978
4
1979
2
1980
1
1981
2
1982
2
1983
1
1984
3
1985
0
1986
0
1987
1
1988
2
1989
1
1990
1
1991
0
1992
1
1993
0
1994
0
1995
4
1996
2
1997
1
1998
4
1999
2
2000
5
2001
3
2002
 0
2003
 0
2004
 3
2005
 2
2006
 5
2007
 2
TOTALS
119
*No study was conducted in 1942.
DIRECT FATALITIES 2007:  TYPE OF ACTIVITY ENGAGED IN



 
 

Type of Activity
Sandlot
Professional
High School
College
Total
Tackled Running Ball
 0
 0
 1
 0
 1
Tackled
0
 0
 1
 0
 1
Tackling
 0
 1
 3
 0
 4
TOTALS
0
1
3
0
4
DIRECT FATALITIES 2007:  CAUSE OF DEATH



 
 

Causes
Sandlot
Professional
High School
College
Total
Brain Injury
0
0
2
0
2
Neck Injury
 0
 1
 0
 0
 1
Internal Injury
 0
 0
 1
 0
 1
TOTALS
0
1
3
0
4
DIRECT FATALITIES 2007:  POSITION PLAYED



 
 

Position
Sandlot
Professional
High School
College
Total
Running Back
0
0
1
0
1
Tight End
0
0
1
0
1
Definsive End
0
0
1
0
1
Definsive Back
0
1
0
0
1
TOTALS
0
1
3
0
4
INDIRECT FATALITIES 2007:  CAUSE OF DEATH



 
 

Causes
Sandlot
Professional
High School
College
Total
Heart Related
1
0
2
1
4
Heat Stroke
0
0
2
 0
4
Pulmonary Emboli
0
0
1
 0
1
Aorta Tear
0
0
1
 0
1
Medical Problems
0
1
0
 0
1
Unknown
0
0
1
 0
1
Not Football
0
0
2
0
2
TOTALS
1
1
9
1
12
HEAD AND CERVICAL SPINE FATALITIES



 
 

 
He
 ad
Cervical
  Spine
Year
Frequency
Percent
Frequency
Percent
1945-1954
87
17.1
32
27.3
1955-1964
115
22.5
23
19.7
1965-1974
162
31.8
42
35.9
1975-1984
69
13.5
14
12.0
1985-1994
33
6.5
5
4.3
1995-2004
 44
8.6
 1
0.8
TOTALS
510
100.0
117
100.0

Last updated:  February 27, 2007