What happens when the stereotype of the NFL player—tough, strong, impenetrable—cracks? When bodies trained for collision, force, and victory slow down for a moment, open up, and start talking about pain, vulnerability, and the role psychedelics play in life off the field?
That was the story shared by three NFL players—Jordan Poyer of the Buffalo Bills, Robert Gallery, formerly of the Raiders, and Jon Feliciano of the San Francisco 49ers—during a panel at the massive Psychedelic Science conference titled “Healing Behind the Highlights,” held in Denver, Colorado, a few months ago. And they spoke candidly about their experiences.
Moderated by Aubrey Marcus, the conversation set out to explore how certain psychedelic experiences impact the lives and health of NFL players, without filters, touching on topics many wouldn’t expect to hear discussed in this context: identity, relationships, trauma, healing, and more.
The impact you don’t see: Hits, concussions, and brain damage
Professional football is one of the most physically demanding sports in existence, especially to the brain. Every play combines speed, mass, and violent contact, inevitably leading to injuries, often repeated, that can result in serious brain damage.
While figures vary depending on the source, scientific analyses report 692 concussions in the NFL between 2019 and 2023, underscoring just how common this type of trauma is among players.
The range of damage caused by repeated impacts is broad. Beyond acute concussions, there is a condition that deeply concerns researchers and players’ families alike: chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This neurodegenerative disease, associated with repeated head impacts, has historically been identified primarily through autopsy. Still, scientific evidence has advanced enough to confirm that repeated blows to the head are linked to long-term cognitive and behavioral problems.
This is more than theory. Researchers have studied more than 1,000 donated brains and found …
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Author: Camila Berriex / High Times
