Wild Video Shows How Injured NFL Players Were Carted Off In The 1960s — This Would Never Be Allowed Today [VIDEO]
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
The NFL players of the current generation are so lucky, and they have no idea just how bad things used to be. In sports and in life, there is a natural progression: things will get better with time.
Once upon a time, injuries were treated very differently. That goes for the medicines, operations, and even how players got off the field.
In the present day, when a player is unable to walk, he is taken by cart to a locker room. They are usually comfortable when that happens. That wasn’t always the case in the old days.
You Won’t Believe How the NFL Transported Injured Star Charlie Cowan in 1969
Charlie Cowan experienced a scary medical scare during a 1969 matchup for the Los Angeles Rams. The standout starting offensive tackle suddenly went down on the field with a severe leg injury.
Team doctors immediately rushed onto the gridiron to tend to the immobilized lineman. Consequently, trainers carted the Pro Bowl blocker off the field because he could not put any weight on his leg.
During this time, he had to be rolled off the field on a flatbed cart with an unsecured folding chair on top. We know this because a video exists of that moment.
Cowan Passed Away In 1998
Charley Cowan passed away in 1998, at the age of 59. The former football standout died in Los Angeles from medical complications related to long-term kidney failure. Before his death, he spent a decade undergoing intensive dialysis treatments to fight the illness.
Before his death, Cowan built an elite career spanning fifteen seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. The durable offensive lineman played in 206 regular-season games from 1961 to 1975. Consequently, his exceptional blocking earned him three Pro Bowl selections from 1968 through 1970.
Furthermore, his incredible on-field performance helped guide the Rams to five distinct postseason appearances. His alma mater, New Mexico Highlands University, subsequently inducted the multi-sport All-American into its Hall of Fame.
