Methodology and key takeaways from 1988 ESPN/KFF NFL survey - ESPN

Last year, ESPN sought to examine the life outcomes of NFL players who are now nearing retirement age and partnered with independent health-policy research, polling and news organization KFF to survey nearly 550 players from the 1988 season. TheESPN/KFF Survey of 1988 NFL Players included questions about their physical and mental health, their finances and families, and their attitudes about football today.

The surveyed NFL players are more likely to be living with chronic pain or a disability, are more depressed and are far more likely to report having some type of cognitive decline than the average American man. But overwhelmingly, they would make the same decision to play professional football again. Read more about the survey's findings »

Nearly every player surveyed reported having pain in the past three months, with half saying they experience pain every day. Read about the players' physical and mental decline »

Black players fared worse than white players across a wide range of life outcomes, even though they all reached the same pinnacle of professional football. Read about the racial disparities in the data »

Players from the 1988 season remain loyal to the game, watching the NFL, coaching football and encouraging their children to play. But they're more divided on the benefits and risks of youth tackle football. Read about the players' attitudes toward the sport »

Want to hear from the players themselves? Survey respondents anonymously answered a handful of open-ended questions about the game. Here's what they had to say »

For a video of the survey results, visit YouTube »

To view the entire survey and read KFF's reports, visit KFF's website »

The ESPN/KFF survey was partially inspired by an email from Alayna