The NFLPA announced yesterday that 33 vested retired players and one non-vested former player have received free joint replacements since July 2007 – courtesy of the NFLPA. Great news.
However, this announcement also stated that a total of 87 former players had applied. This raises some serious questions: Why were two-thirds of the applicants rejected? What are the criteria? Are there any criteria? Do you have to be a “friend” of Upshaw’s to be approved? I know that Dave Pear –who is currently in a skilled nursing facility recuperating from his left hip replacement a few weeks ago – made contact with the NFLPA office at least three times to see if he could take advantage of this benefit. They never even sent him an application.
John Hogan
