To: Former Players
From: Ron Mix (Chargers/Raiders)
I have seen several communications from former players criticizing Hall of Fame members and other former players for participating in meeting called by the NFL Alliance. As a member of the Hall of Fame who has participated in one meeting (more about why I was limited to one meeting later), I can tell you that such criticism is not justified. The ones who are participating are doing so in the good faith belief that direct contact with those who hold the power to bring change to the system is an important part of the movement to improve benefits.
Although there has not been improvement to the one item that is of the greatestimportance (higher pensions), the new programs for disability and health careand expanded time to file claims are a vast improvement over the old system.
When I attended one of the meetings late last year, I sent all participantsoutlines of programs that needed attention. In particular, in both the writtenmaterial and in an oral presentation I made at the meeting, I stressed that thevery fact that it was necessary to created such programs as dementia assistanceand joint-replacement surgery was symptomatic of the real problem: thepensions were so meager that retired players could not afford medicalinsurance and long-term care insurance. I also suggested , in mycover letter, that it was time to clean house and dump the Groom Law Group as the Plan attorneys and Sarah Gaunt as Plan Director. I was notinvited back to participate in future meetings.
To increase pensions, I presented what I called “The Ten Percent Solution.” A copy of that concept is one of the attachments to this communication. In its simplest form, it is suggested that improvement be funded by ten percent of the current players’ share of the future Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA). I will not reiterate the rationale, but ask that each of you access the attachment under that name.
I also, once again, called their attention to the plight of those who made the Social Security Election and pointed out what I perceived to be the equities in favor of an adjustment. Again, I won’t reiterate what I wrote but ask that you access the attachment under that name.
With regard to my push for discussion of increasing pensions, I was advised, at the beginning of the Alliance meeting, that the focus of the NFL Alliance, at this time, was to address health and disability issues and that the matter of pension increases was a subject for the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Now, so that you know why I continue to have confidence in those former players who attend the Alliance meetings and continue to believe that direct communications are important, I will tell you that Jack Kemp and Merlin Olsen immediately spoke up and said that the subject of pension increases was too important to ignore for some unknown time in the future. What I am telling you is that the former player participants are not toadies who area long for the ride–they are working from within for your benefit. It is not on the time schedule that you and I would prefer, but it has been productive and is going to become more productive.
Would we even be where we are today without the outside activities of Bruce Laird, Jeff Nixon, Bernie Parrish, Mike Ditka, Jerry Kramer, Brent Boyd,David Pear, Jim McFarland, and others? Of course not; but there are many approaches to solving a problem and working on the inside is one of them. The fact that I was not invited back to Alliance meetings does not change my opinion that there are benefits to the presence of former players and that the benefit is not limited to the cosmetic value to the League and NFLPA.
Because many former players need financial and health care assistance now, I have included an attachment under the title “work comp benefits summary;” this information relates to workers’ compensation benefits for retired players, which is my field of law practice. In these discussions over the years, I have hesitated to inform you that I am available to assist former players in recovering workers’ compensation benefits because I did not want you to believe that I was in this fight as a marketing tool for my business;however, the information is too important and I am going to shelve those concerns.
For those of you who have never filed a claim, you will find the information very interesting. For those of you who are currently represented by an attorney in a claim for workers’ compensation benefits, this communication is not meant to interfere with that relationship and you are advised to stay with such attorneys.
Back to our collective business. If you believe the Ten Percent Solution is a plan worth supporting, let’s make it a part of our national agenda. We have all asked for pension increases but, to date, there has been no proposal advanced to fund the increases. Here it is.
work-comp-benefits-summary-advertisement-material.doc
Ron Mix
619-688-9630
Ron,
Followed your career when you played and now on the head injury issues. Good job on both and keep kicking butt. I played for SF in 80 & 81 (was a 6th round DT pick of NY Jets in 80), developed hydrocephalus (water on the brain) during the 81 season right after a knee surgery, under went emergency VP Shunt brain surgery at Stanford, Sept 81. Had 2 more emergency brain surgeries 10 hrs apart May 82 and given last rites (just 4 months after we won Super Bowl XVI and I was told I could keep playing with a special made helmet). 49ers denied I was injured playing for them and had to sue for Work Comp to get brain surgeries 2 & 3 paid for. Won my case in 86 (had 2 more knee surgeries during that time repairing the torn ACL they never fixed. Had a Gore Tex ACL transplant in 84).
LOTS LOTS more if you would like to talk. Below is a synopsis of my life I take to Dr appts to help keep things in line when they ask me who, what and where it happened, as I have no short term memory, and am currently taking TWO Dementia medicines (Arricept and Namenda), have been taking for some time and am only 51 trying to run a business and take care of my family
George Visger (916) 812-2257
Football/Education/Injury History
George Visger
12865 Ridge Road
Grass Valley, CA 95945
(916) 812-2257 cell
visgergeorge@gmail.com
Pop Warner 1970-1972
Amos Alonzo Stagg High 1973-1975
University of Colorado 1976-1979
NY Jets and SF 49ers 1980 – 1981
• 1970 – 7th grade. West Stockton Bear Cubs Pee Wee Pop Warner – Champs, Jr. Redwood Bowl. Started both ways DE, TE.
• 1971 – 8th grade. West Stockton Bear Pop Warner – Coach Jon Gustorf. Played LB.
• 1972 – 9th grade. West Stockton Bears, Champs, Gold Nugget Bowl. Team captain, started both ways OG, LB. Hospitalized with first serious concussion. Knocked myself out in a Bull-In-The-Ring drill, broken fingers, possible fractured hand.
• 1973 Stagg High sophomore team. Started both ways OT, DT. Several minor concussions (weren’t considered concussions then)
• 1974 Stagg High “The Family”. Started at DT. 1974 SJAA Champs 9-1-1. Played in the Turkey Bowl “vs.” Merced, our only loss in 2 years. Unanimous All-City and All-League selection. Many minor concussions
• 1975 Stagg High “The Family”. 75 SJAA Champs, 75 Turkey Bowl Champs. 11-0 ranked 3rd in State. Unanimous All City and All League both OT and DT. All Northern California , Selected to Top 100 HS All American team. Captain of the 1976 Lions All Star North team as OT. Many more minor concussions and had my bell rung 2 or 3 times, broken fingers.
• 1976 -1979 University of Colorado. 1976 Big 8 Champs, played Ohio State in 1977 Orange Bowl. Won starting position at DT during spring ball freshman year. 3 year starter, Honorable Mention All Big- 8 1979. 3rd leading tackler in 1979, and currently number 11th on All-Time CU sack record. 3-4 concussions (bell rung but never unconscious) and MANY minor ones. Broken and dislocated fingers, knee drained, severe Lt ankle sprain (3x soph yr).
• 1980 2 weeks before draft, fractured sacral 8 vertebrae doing squats (did not know I broke it till the following spring after my rookie year). Developed incredible sciatica did not pass my physical at the Jets in May, 1980 due to weakness in rt. leg from sciatica.
• 1980 6th round draft pick of NY Jets (149th overall pick).
• 1980 Drafted by Calgary Stampeders and practiced with for 2 weeks after Jets let me go end of preseason.
• 1980 – SF 49ers. Major concussion first play with 49ers in 1980 “vs” Dallas . 6th game of season. Trainers said I used 25 – 30 smelling salts during game. Member of the 1981 Super Bowl Championship team.
(1)
• 1980 – December. Began Visger Family Homeless Xmas dinner
• 1981 – May 10, minicamp. Blew out lt knee, trainers had to pop it back into joint. Dr Behling said sprain.
• 1981 – May and June. Had knee drained 2 – 3 x of 60 – 70ccs of blood. Behling still said it was only a sprain. 1981 – July. Surgery on Lt knee. All cartilage removed, but had actually torn my ACL, which Dr Behling did not repair.
• 1981 – August and Sept. Major headaches, projectile vomiting, loss of vision and hearing each night, which began 2 wks after my first knee surgery. Culminated in focal pt paralysis of lt arm.
• 1981 – September. Emergency VP shunt brain surgery # 1 at Stanford Hospital. Dr Koenig. 2 weeks in intensive care.
• 1982 – prior to May. Arrested 3xs and lost truck several times after going out drinking. Never arrested prior, or lost truck. Saw Dr. Koenig, my original neurosurgeon at Stanford and relayed my problems when I drank. Said not from his surgery, did CAT scan, OK’d me to go to Mexico next day fishing, and OK’d to drink.
• 1982 – May- Second day in Mexico with brother Mel and wife Nancy, I have one margarita with dinner and get major headaches and go into coma. Takes Mel a day to get me out of country and back to Sacramento.
• 1982- May. Emergency VP shunt brain surgery # 2 and # 3, ten hours apart. Given last rites. Surgeries performed by Dr. Cully Cobb. He reviewed my CAT scan taken prior week and stated it clearly showed my shunt was not functioning properly. No memory for entire summer, and very little first year.
• 1982 Creditors on me for payment of brain surgeries #2 & #3 till I successfully won a Workers Comp suit against the 49ers in 1986.
• 1984 knee continued to deteriorate. Dr. David Coward (Sacramento) operates Knee surgery # 2, but can’t fix as I have no ACL. Refers me to Dr. Steadman in Tahoe for an experimental Gore-Tex ACL transplant.
• 1984 – September. Knee surgery # 3. Gore-Tex ACL transplant by Dr. Steadman in Lake Tahoe. Said my entire ACL was torn off the femur (and Dr Fred Behlings records validated)
• 1984 awarded Outstanding Former West Stockton Bears player award.
• 1986 Won Workers Comp case against 49ers and returned to finish my Biology degree at Sacramento State University.
• 1986 – 87 Emergency brain surgeries # 4, 5,6 & 7 in one 10 month period while taking Chemistry and Physics
• 1987- 55 minute Grand mal seizure in class, 48 hours after a brain surgery.
• 1987 – Developed dyslexia from repeated surgeries and seizures .
• 1987 Completed a Class B General Contractors license
• 1987 Inducted into Stagg High Hall of Fame for community involvement (Visger Family Homeless Xmas Dinner).
• 1989 – November. Headaches and CT scan.
• 1998 Inducted with the Stagg “Family” into The Stockton Athletic Hall of Fame. One of the first teams to be inducted
• 1990 –April. Began part time work as a wildlife Biologist with Jones and Stokes
(2)
• 1990 – May. Graduated with BS in Biological Conservation degree. Sacramento State University.
• 1990 – December. Headache Clinic for headaches, lack of memory, increasing irritability and short tempered. Went to a counselor once (Dr. Richard Boylin), who fell asleep on me while I was talking. Lot of pain in the neck, low back and lt knee, and increasing hearing loss.
• 1991- Sac Rehabilitation Medical Group. Dr. Hartzog. First time I returned in 2 yrs. Complained of sciatica, back pain. Diagnosed with degenerative disc disease.
• 1991 – July. Seeing Jean Trauber Family Counselor for explosive anger, obsessive thinking and memory disorder. Stated they are therapeutic issues related to my injuries.
• 1991-July . Refused for MRI on back.
• 1993 – December 9. Sacramento Headache clinic for recurring headaches last few weeks.
• 1991 – December 10. Emergency VP Shunt brain surgery # 8.
• 1995 – January 12. Dr Vijay an for major headaches and neck pain.
• 1998- December 18. Dr. Sauer attempted to inject radioisotope into shunt, but unsuccessful. Shot it into my spine.
• 1998 – December 18. Grand mal seizure at work at Wild lands. Placed on 150 mg of Phenobarbital/day
• 1998 – December 21. Shunt gram with radioisotope.
• 1998 – December 23. Shunt gram and examined for possible shunt infection. Examined by Dr. Randy Martin, Infectious Disease at Sutter Roseville.
• 1999- January 20. Examined by Dr. Vijayan.
• 2000- July. Dr Vijayan. For anger management issues per Kristi.
• 2004-July 28. Dr Vijay an. Still on 150 mg phenobarb. Memory problems more noticeable.
• 2001 Inducted into Stockton Athletic Hall of Fame as an individual.
• 2005 – October 28. Rt arm clumsy and numb, and rt foot. Arm numbness went away in a day, but foot remained.
• 2006 – April. Dr. Claydon. Back pain, irritability and anger management issues, and numbness in RT foot, memory problems. Prescribed 750 mg Robaxin as muscle relaxant, and 800 mg Motrin, and 10 mg Lexapro. Rec’d x-rays of pelvis and sacrum, and MRI of lumbar. Showed degenerative disc disease at T12, L4 and interspacel levels. Osteoarthritis at lower lumbar facet joints is most marked at L5- S1 level on left side.
• 2006- April 26. Dr. Samman. Tremendous low back pain, comparable to when I played at SF.
• 2007 Inducted into Stagg Football Hall of Fame and jersey retired (second ever).
• 2008- February 26. Dr. Goshal. Pain in lt shoulder girdle, numbness in lt upper extremity. Requested MRI of brain and cervical spine.
• 2008 – April 1. MRI of cervical spine. Dr. Goshal. Mild degeneration of discs at C3, 4, 5, 6
• 2008 – August. Dr Goshal. Requests a neuropsychological test and EEG at his office
(3)
• 2008 – August 13. Dr Goshal EEG.
• 2008 – September 30. Dr. Goshal. Referred me to UCD. I called 2 hours later from UCD (as he didn’t refer me to anyone, just sent me down there).. I couldn’t be seen till Jan. and blew up on him. Dr. Goshal refuses to see me any more.
• 2009 – February 23. Dr. Blaha. Neurological consultation
• Meeting with Dr Bennett Omalu on a regular basis and asked to sit on his board. Dr Omalu discovered tau protein build up in the brain of Mike Webster in 2002. This was followed by the next 16 brains of deceased NFL players such as Andre Waters, Gerald Small and others.
• 2009 – July 6, Dr Claydon. Kristi attended with me. Broke into tears explaining what it has been like living with me. She and kids are afraid of me. Dr Claydon referred me to Dr. Amen’s clinic in New Port Beach, CA for a full evaluation.
• 2009- July 6. Called Dr Amen and emailed my Injury History. He recommended a full 3 day evaluation. I fought with The Travelers Work Comp till Oct to get evaluation approved.
• 2009 – October 18 -21. Kristi, Jack and I attended Dr Amens clinic. He said it is a miracle I am even functioning, much less involved in 3 different businesses and doing motivational talks. Said the SPECT scans of my brain show major damage to a number of areas, and he would have me rated at 80% disabled. Mentioned I was the 67th NFL player he has studied, and has evaluated 1,000s of individuals and my test results are amazing. Asked if we would be interested in being on the Oprah show with him in a couple months.
• 2009- November. Quit taking the cocktail of drugs I was on (per Dr Amen), and started on Lamictal for seizures and Arricept for memory.
• 2010- March. Started taking a second Dementia medicine, Namenda, in addition to the Arricept, as we were not getting the results they wanted.
Recent articles pertaining to my 8 brain surgeries.
NPR: A Brain, A Life, Battered by Football
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114059228#commentBlock
Sac News and Review Cover story
http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/content?oid=1317643
Letter to NFL Commissioner Goodell posted on Dave Pears blog
http://davepear.com/blog/2009/11/open-letter-from-george-visger/
CNN story 020710
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/
George Visger testimony at Senate Hearing on Traumatic Brain Injuries
http://www.kget.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=38122@kget.dayport.com& navCatId=5 (click on: Top Stories – Silent Epidemic Part 2)
(4)
George Visger 2/2/10
SmartPlanet.com (click on Smart People)
Bleacher Report – Head Injury Cover Ups in NFL & My 9 Brain Surgeries 2/10 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/338505-head-injury-cover-ups-in-the-nfl-and- my-9-brain-
George Visger resume on Mallory Men blog
http://blog.mallorymen.com/2009/08/10/resume–george-visger.aspx
(5)
Have to have ECT therapy because of trouble caused by brain trauma.