After being arrested three times in one week, the story of Titus Young appears to be more than just one of a troubled young man, but of a man struggling with mental illness.
Young was first arrested for a DUI, and later that same day arrested for trying to break into an impound lot to retrieve his impounded vehicle. The end of the week saw him arrested again this time for breaking into a home and assaulting a police officer. He was being held on $75,000 bond.
After the last arrest Young's father spoke out advising the media that his son suffered from mental illness. Former teammate Stephen Tulloch also spoke of seeing paperwork about Young's mental illness. The focus on Young now has changed from one of laughs to one of sympathy. Is Young another young man who has suffered from a brain injury and now has some mental illness because of it.
In recent years the impact of what multiple concussions and brain collisions can do to the brain of football players. The dementia of many former players and the suicide of several others has made this issue even more important and relevant in recent years. Every time a player steps out onto the field he risks suffering a concussion and potentially suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, dementia, alzheimers or other mental disorders in their later years.
Young played through high school, college and his two years in the NFL. His chances of having suffered a concussion in any of those years are enormous. The chance his disorder stems from a concussion cannot be known for sure. Whether or not this is the case, it is clear that Young is in need of help, and a league bent on trying to improve their image and lessen the issue of what concussions do to players in the long run, should help him. The league is not obligated to help everyone, but they should feel a moral obligation to help those that this game helps to destroy.
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