Ex-Rams lineman Jacob Bell retired this week/AP

I admit, I had barely heard of Jacob Bell before Tuesday. Now, I’ll always remember him. The veteran lineman became the first player to change his life following the death of legendary linebacker Junior Seau. Valuing his safety, Bell stepped away from the game.

He officially retired, doing so because Seau’s apparent reality spurred him to do it. Bell is healthy now, but he doesn’t know what is around the corner. Bell wants to speak out about the realities of the game, and he did so in my article.

“Everybody wants to make the money, but what are you really sacrificing?” Bell told me. “If they tell you we’re going to take your brain and whack it with a baseball bat, but we’ll give you a couple million bucks, how many people would really do that? … I compare us to modern-day gladiators. We’re giving our lives to the game of football for a price.”

This is my article on NFL.com that includes Bell’s price and his suggestions for improving the situation.

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