Late in the 3rd quarter while the Baltimore Ravens were playing the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field last Sunday afternoon. Cleveland Browns star linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah had a violent collision while tackling Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry. After the tackle was made Owusu-Koramoah lied prone on the field motionless. The replay showed that his neck compressed when making the tackle. The fans in attendance stayed silent during this somber moment. The cart was brought out and he was placed on a board to immobilize his neck. As he was being carted off the field chants of JOK echoed throughout Huntington Bank Field. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was able to give a thumbs up while exiting the playing field on the cart. That indicated that he should be fine and recover from this. But will he be?

Later that evening it was reported that Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was able to move his arms and legs. He also had full feeling in his limbs. He was kept overnight at University Hospitals Medical Center in Cleveland Ohio as a precaution. That is excellent news that he will be fine health wise. It is also a reminder during that moment that football is a dangerous game and that should be respected.

In the NFL there are 32 teams with 53 active players on their rosters. The men that take the field every game during the season are the absolute best football players in the world. They are among the best athletes in the world as well. Sometimes fans can get caught up in the stats or analytics of the game and forget that the players are also human beings. Don’t get me wrong, fantasy football can be fun to participate in during football season. But the incident in Cleveland last Sunday was a reminder that fantasy can meet reality in a harsh way.