Research - Risk and Causes of Death Among Former National Football League Players (1986-2012) - which appears in the March issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (MSSE) - concluded that, "Consistent with an earlier NFL cohort and other elite athlete populations, the overall and cardiovascular mortality risk of this NFL cohort was significantly lower than that of the general US male population, likely attributable to a healthy worker effect and less smoking."
That's good news for some retiring NFL players, who have previously been the subject of media reports - including mine - as to the ill effects of a career in pro football.