Kyle Turley steppin up

[DrunkHillbilly]

Turley challenges active players to give to fund

ESPN.com news services






Updated: November 27, 2007, 1:20 PM ET

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Kyle Turley is donating an entire game check to the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund for retired NFL players in need -- and challenging his fellow active players to give as well.


"I am issuing a challenge to all current players of this great game to take action and stand with me and show these men that they are not forgotten," the Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman said in a news release issued by Gridiron Greats on Tuesday.

"I am asking them to join me by donating a portion of their December 23 game check, whether large or small, to go directly to retired players in need. Whether they choose to keep their participation confidential or release their name as a participant is not important. What is important is doing something to make a difference."


The Gridiron Greats fund, overseen by NFL Hall of Famers Mike Ditka and Gale Sayers, provides financial assistance and coordinates social service assistance to retired NFL players in need. Ditka has been an outspoken critic of the NFL and its players union over the disability benefits program for retired players.

"The fact that there are so many guys out there in desperate need of help, when something could be done by the owners and the union, is shameful," said Sayers, a board member of the Gridiron Greats. "While they spend their time making excuses, we are committed to providing whatever help we can to improve the lives of so many of the men that played this great game. In this season of giving it is absolutely wonderful what [Turley] and these active players are doing by reaching out to the retired players who are need."

[prough91]

There are ex NFL players living (barely), in homeless shelters getting $80 a month.

I think the NFL owes them something.

Why? The players agreed to play for what they were paid. Most players had a degree or some college, they could have had a different job than playing football.

[hermhater]

And some of them were not able to perform basic tasks to hold a job because of injuries.


The ENTIRE life of an NFL player.

[prough91]

And some of them were not able to perform basic tasks to hold a job because of injuries.


The ENTIRE life of an NFL player.

I meant instead of playing football.

[chief31]

Well, choosing to play football for one of the most profitable businesses around should not mean that you become a homeless bumb when your employments causes you a severe injury. At least not in my opinion.

[prough91]

I don't care how profitable a business is, a person chooses what they are going to do for a living. If the job doesn't offer insurance and retirement and you can't deal with that. Don't work for them.

[hermhater]

I don't care how profitable a business is, a person chooses what they are going to do for a living. If the job doesn't offer insurance and retirement and you can't deal with that. Don't work for them.

I don't agree with that really.

Circumstances often intervene.

NFL is different in that respect, but being disabled at the age of 45 because of your job, and then being denied medical or work comp because you signed a contract don't work for me.

[chief31]

I don't care how profitable a business is, a person chooses what they are going to do for a living. If the job doesn't offer insurance and retirement and you can't deal with that. Don't work for them.

I gotcha. Anything that can be done to protect the billionaires from those evil poor people kind of plan.

What I am saying is that the employer, the NFL in this case, should go ahead and spare a gallon of gas from their yachts and take better care of the people who the used to get those yachts. Maybe just temper the greed a little bit.

[prough91]

It's just hard for me to feel sorry for someone who gets paid to play a game. You don't see people in an uproar for West Virginia miners who were underpaid for decades and then died of black lung. Ok, I'll revise that a little, I'm sure there are probably groups somewhere working for the miners, but they don't get the press that ex-NFL players get.

[Guru]

It's just hard for me to feel sorry for someone who gets paid to play a game. You don't see people in an uproar for West Virginia miners who were underpaid for decades and then died of black lung. Ok, I'll revise that a little, I'm sure there are probably groups somewhere working for the miners, but they don't get the press that ex-NFL players get.

Funny how that works isn't it.

[rbedgood]

I think the problem that some of us have HH is your use of the word "owe"...I don't think a person in the area would disagree that it would be a great gesture for the owners to follow suit in some way with the gesture made by Turley and others. However to imply that they "owe" the x-NFL players something implies that they promised them something that isn't being delivered. The x-NFL players agreed to a level of pay and benefits when they played that was appropriate for the times, and their own union has continued to negotiate for todays players rather than negotiate benefits for the x-NFL players. The analogy of mine workers in W Virginia is a perfect analogy, unfortunately if Jim-Bob drops a weeks paycheck to pay for the X-mine workers medical bills it isn't going to go very far!!!