When LeGrand was paralyzed, he thought his football career was over. Greg Schiano changed that four tune with a simple phone call. (Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-US PRESSWIRE)

On October 16, 2010, Rutgers guard Eric LeGrand went onto the field to play that Saturday’s game against Army not knowing it would be the last time he ever did so with the use of his legs. On the play that claimed the use of his lower body, LeGrand suffered fractures to two vertebrae and a unrepairable spinal cord injury.

LeGrand’s playing career ended right then and there. But his future didn’t.

Immediately after the injury, LeGrand was told he would be a quadriplegic. However just five weeks after that, LeGrand began breathing on his own and his improvements and determination to beat the odds grew. After he began breathing on his own, Eric LeGrand can now stand with the aid of a metal frame.

We ready!!! twitter.com/EricLeGrand52/…

— Eric LeGrand (@EricLeGrand52) May 2, 2012

“Dreams do come true if you really believe.” LeGran said. “You do the right things in life, good things happen to you. He really just did this out of the kindness of his heart. It’s really what he wanted to do. I had no idea this was going to happen.”

But LeGrand had no idea what was in store for him. He resumed his studies at Rutgers in Spring 2011 and remained very close to Greg Schiano, his head coach at the time of his injury.

Greg Schiano sat in the Buccaneers war room and although a million picks were racing through his mind, one pick that wouldn’t be made hit him the hardest.

“Leading up to the draft, I couldn’t help but think that this should’ve been Eric’s draft class,” Schiano said. “This small gesture is the least we could do to recognize his character, spirit and perseverance. The way Eric lives his life epitomizes what we are looking for in Buccaneer Men.”

So Schiano did something no one expected to happen, especially not Eric LeGrand who saw his football career end that October day. Greg Schiano called LeGrand and told him he really liked what he saw out him at Rutgers and would like him to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.

“I said, ‘Are you serious? You want to do this?’ He said: ‘It’s the least we could do,’ ” LeGrand said Wednesday during a conference call. “I said I don’t even know what to say to you right now, coach. This is amazing.”

The Buccaneers made the signing on May 2nd to honor LeGrand’s jersey number at Rutgers. LeGrand will wear No. 52 for the Buccaneers this season and his presence sets the tone for the type of team he Buccaneers will be.

“It’s symbolic, something coach wanted to do and I appreciate that. It just shows the man that he is.”

If Greg Schiano hadn’t won you over yet then this seismic change front he previous regime in Tampa will undoubtedly win over all Buccaneers fans and demonstrates that a new era has begun in Tampa.

Seau last played for the Patriots but he spent 20 years with the Chargers and Dolphins as well. His death is going to send shockwaves through the debate of what happens to players brains after their career ends. (Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-US PRESSWIRE)

But it’s not players depressed about punishing their bodies for a career that went largely overlooked. The names attached to these suicides are massive. Former Chicago Bears safety and member of the 1985 Super Bowl team Dave Duerson was the first giant name to commit suicide by shooting himself in the chest to preserve his brain for testing.

Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Andre Waters has also claimed his life in recent years and Atlanta Falcons defensive back Ray Easterling claimed his life after struggling with dementia.

But the most mammoth name to add his name to the list of players so mentality far gone that they kill themselves is former San Diego Charger linebacker and 12 time Pro Bowler Junior Seau.

Seau had an illustrious 20 year NFL career that saw him play mainly for the Chargers, bringing them to the Super Bowl in 1994 and earning 12 Pro Bowl honors.

“Everyone at the Chargers is in complete shock and disbelief right now. We ask everyone to stop what they’re doing and send their prayers to Junior and his family.”

-Statement released by the San Diego Chargers

But in recent years Seau began to decline. He made headlines when he crashed his SVU off a cliff, claiming he fell asleep at the wheel. There were no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of the crash.

This isn’t a coincidence. Seau played defense. He shot himself in the chest to preserve his brain for study and he’s dead.

You have to ask yourself, how messed up are these guys that the best option is to load a shotgun, aim it at your chest, take your last breath and blow our chest out your back? If you reject the correlation between defensive players, head injuries and sudden and willing deaths then you need to stop watching football and go away.

This is an epidemic and as football fans we can’t just sit by and ignore it. This isn’t sport, these are men with families that gave their bodies and ultimately their lives to entertain us. There needs to be more public questions asked because the players we grew up watching an idolizing like so many people idolize the players today are dying in epic numbers.

One suicide stemming from the effects of head trauma in the NFL is too many.

Who’s to say that in 20 year we won’t hear the Derrick Brooks has been found dead, or John Lynch? Is that what it’s going to take for people to press for questions in this matter or we will continue to idly sit by and call it “a risk that comes with the territory.”

No job in the world should one of the risks of the job be so severely damaging your brain that you think eating a shotgun is a good option. The heroes we grew up as children with are deteriorating to the point where the latter is their only option to both raise awareness about the issue and to ease their own pain.

We all know this is a violent game, but the violence doesn’t end when you hang up the cleats. Clearly as Dave Duerson, Andre Waters, Ray Easterling, and now Junior Seau have demonstrated, the hardest part about playing football begins when you hang it up. And the sadness about leaving the game they love is the least of their worries. I don’t know how to end this other then to be as simply blunt as I can.

This needs to stop. Something needs to be done.

April 27, 2011; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers first round draft pick Doug Martin talks as he is introduced during a press conference at One Buc Place. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Martin is viewed by most scouts as a legitimate starting running back in the NFL, and a lot of hit has to do with what Yasinskas wrote: Martin is an all-purpose back. Blount is a better pure rusher than Martin and is probably one of the best top ten running backs in the league in terms of pure rushing ability. However, Blount is clearly a liability as a pass protector and isn’t much of a factor in the passing game.

Starting a running back is a bit ambiguous by definition, because teams with two starting-caliber running backs don’t really choose a starter. Also, carries and snaps are two different animals. For this piece, let’s pretend that Yasinskas is Greg Schiano and has decided to start Doug Martin over LeGarrette Blount. With this scenario in mind, let’s take a look at how the league works with backs.

So while Yasinskas is starting Martin, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he will significantly cut into Blount’s carries. In fact, he will make Blount better. As a starter, Martin will certainly receive more snaps, especially on passing downs. He’s a far better pass protector/receiver than Blount, which gives him the edge and makes him more ideal for the starting position. Of course, you have to think in the snaps vs. carries mindset.

By eliminating a significant amount of his pass protecting situations, this will reflect better on the Bucs play as a whole and on Blount’s play. Although it doesn’t technically make Blount better, it makes him look better by exposing him to plays where he can be exploited less often.

Now, on to the carries side of it. Doug Martin is, in essence, the starter because he receives more snaps. But he receives these snaps mainly on passing downs. He’ll still get a fair share of carries, but LeGarrette Blount is the better pure running back and will most likely receive as many carries as Martin.

Two important things to keep in mind are that Greg Schiano is a run-heavy coach, so both running backs should get 200 carries. Another thing is that the Bucs traded up to get Doug Martin, so he’s going to be a whole lot more than a third/passing down back. I elaborated this to get my point across, so expect Martin to get his carries as well. I think this ends up being a 50-50 split on carries between the backs, and it will help keep Blount fresh which is a must.

If I were Schiano, I would agree with Yasinskas and start the guy who you traded up to get. It’s sensible, not just because you traded up to the first to get him, but also because Martin has the advantage over Blount on passing downs. He’s also very good at, you know, the actual running part. The Bucs have two starting backs on their roster, and the tricky part is deciding how to split things up. A 50-50 carries split and a larger snaps split seems ideal at this point.

Please leave your thoughts in the comments section, and you can read my scouting report on Doug Martin here.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

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