Harbaugh: Football Is 'As Safe As The Sport Has Ever Been'
By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby
This high school football season has seen a brutal string of deaths after football-related injuries on the field. Most recently, a 17-year-old from Kansas was pulled off life support after sustaining brain damage in a game - the 11th high school football-related death since July.
Many have called for increased safety measures, and many have been taken, but reported deaths continue to rise, especially at the high school level.
But Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh disagrees with the notion that football is not worth playing because of safety concerns.
"I think it's the greatest sport there is," he said. "I think it's as safe as the sport has ever been and proper technique, proper fundamentals is important for safety. I think the game is as safe as it's ever been."
Even with safety nets in place within the sport, football still has a 100-percent injury rate. Michigan quarterback Jake Rudock was the Wolverines' latest example, as he had to leave last week's game against Minnesota. The team hasn't specified what exactly Rudock's injury was, although Harbaugh originally said it was a ribs/torso injury.
According to Harbaugh, Rudock has not missed a day of practice this week, and his health "seems good."
Michigan takes on Rutgers at home this Saturday at 3:30 p.m.