A new study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) suggests former NFL players live longer than average males from the general population.
Mike Freeman of CBS Sports obtained a copy of an email the NFL sent to more than 3,000 players who played in the league prior to 1993 that included the study's conclusions.
NIOSH looked at all retirees who played in the NFL for at least five season between 1959 and 1988.
It found that only 334 of the 3,439 former players in the study are dead. Had the numbers kept in line with general population life expectancy rates, 625 of these retirees would be dead by now.
This goes against the long-held notion that former NFL players tend to die young.
It would be easy to argue that this is merely league propaganda. And it is, especially considering the information was released a few days after Junior Seau's tragic suicide. But NIOSH is a legitimate organization.
The revealing study also shows that NFL players have lower risks of dying from cancer or heart disease compared to average U.S. males.
Read all of the study's conclusions here →
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