An NFL star on what the game costs those who play it

Code Switch

NPR

Society & Culture

4.6 • 14.5K Ratings

🗓️ 17 February 2025

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Dominique Foxworth played in the NFL from 2005 to 2011. After he retired, he went on to become the head of the NFL Players' Association, the union that represents players in the league. In this conversation, he describes what it was like sitting across from the league's lawyers, advocating for things like players' health care at a time when the risks of playing football were becoming clearer.
NOTE: This episode includes discussions of suicide. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, call or text 9 8 8 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	On the ThruLine podcast, the myth linking autism and vaccines was decades in the making
0:05.8	and was a major moment for vaccine hesitancy in America, tapping into fears involving the
0:11.7	pharmaceutical industry and the federal government.
0:14.3	No matter how many studies you do showing that this is not a problem, it's very hard to unring
0:19.5	the bell.
0:20.1	Listen to ThruLine from NPR, wherever you get your podcast.
0:24.3	Just a heads up.
0:26.1	This episode contains discussions of suicide.
0:30.2	What's good?
0:31.1	You're listening to Code Switch.
0:33.0	I'm Gene Demby.
0:34.8	Dominique Foxworth is my name.
0:36.8	I'm a former NFL player and former president of the Big Union.
0:43.5	If Dominique's voice sounds familiar to you, that's because you've probably heard it on the show before.
0:47.0	He was in our episode about the NFL's Rooney Rule, and he was talking about the slave auctione
0:52.4	vibe of going through the NFL draft combine. You might have heard more on last week's episode when he was talking about the slave auctione vibe of going through the NFL draft combine.
0:55.7	You might have heard him on last week's episode when he was talking about the very real physical consequences of playing football for players, even before they get to the pros.
1:04.4	So after his tenure in the NFL as a player, Dominique became the head of the NFL Players Association.
1:10.3	That's the union for NFL players.
1:12.9	And in that role, he advocated for players' rights. Like so many people in the United States,
1:18.8	Dominique wanted to be in the NFL since he was a child. He was a college star at the University of
1:23.8	Maryland, and he had a really, really productive career as a pro. He retired around 30 years old, which means he had a pretty long run in the league,
	...

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