I'm sure glad I'm not an ex-NFL player in his 40's

[Poiuyt]

Reggie White, Reggie Roby, Charles Martin, and now Sam Mills. Am I missing anyone else who has died of natural causes lately?

This seems like an awfully high percentage of people from one profession dying in the prime of their life.

[Ganja Ninja]

1. Just like wrestlers.

and if they don't die young they live in constant pain.

If I had a kid and I wanted to steer him or her into a professional sport it would be golf or tennis.

[Viking12]

2. Players w/ more than 10 years in NFL have life expetancy of 53 years old

I don't know the exact numbers but I'm pretty sure I'm in the ballpark. I will try to look for confirmation if I have time. A variety of factors are said to contribute the short life: the punishment of the job, the intentional weight gain, and excessive drug use -- from steroids to ibuprofen.

[carnie_sf]

3. Baseball players

tend to stay pretty healthy.

[democracyindanger]

4. Barry Sanders said it was like getting in a car wreck every Sunday