Why concussions are serious: Kevin Higgins

This is an email I sent to Brian Vizard about my chance encounter with Kevin Higgins, it high lights how serious concussions are. Kevin took his life, his depression could have been a result of concussions. Our discussion should have brought back positive memories, but his damaged brain might have distorted them into a depressive spiral.

Seeing this story brings a very sad memory about how close the American rugby family is. I might have been the last rugby person to have talked to Kevin. He was working in the Big 5 in El Segundo. I ran in quick before practice to see if I could get a pair of cleats as I had forgotten mine at home. I looked a the selection and decided none were good enough even as back ups, the sales person tried to convince me that cleats were cleats. Kevin came out from the stock room asked what I needed the cleats for, I said rugby, which caused him to light up and introduce him self. He asked where I played--I said Belmont Shore, and his eyes lit up more, and he told me he played for OMBAC and we chatted briefly about rugby and perhaps the last epic OMBAC Belmont match. I was in a hurry to get to practice, and promised to stop in again and say high--he told me to say high to the Belmont players and I left thinking how neat it was to have a rugby legend working in the sporting goods store across the street from my work (I was very young and did not know how tragic it also was that a dedicated elite athlete athlete was selling shoes at Big 5). I told the Belmont guys who I had met, Dan Porter, and Rich Schurfeld both jumped out of their skins about knowing Kevin's where abouts-- they said he had kind of fallen off the map and that I should invite him to to come to Belmont and coach, or at least re-engage with rugby. As quickly as the next practice Dan had tried to contact him at the store and was told the bad news. Given the proximity of my meeting him and his passing I can't help but feel I must have triggered a downward spiral about glories past that contrasted with his current situation, and that he did not have a safety net or the ability to break out. It's sad to think that our reach out to a member of the rugby family was coming, but that it came too late (possible just hours too late). I've thought about that chance encounter often without a context to assimilate the randomness of the event, and without knowing the full biography of the greatness I had come into contact with. We should all be reminded of the seriousness of concussions. Thanks for honoring his memory, its filled a void in my life, that some how in a five minute meeting with a person I learned of a fantastically gifted, yet tragic hero. This award fills a longing I've carried for Kevin since that meeting, for him to be recognized by the American rugby community and remembered for the competitor he was. Please continue with your work on promoting rugby, this scholarship, and continue funding the studies on injury prevention and especially concussion awareness. A donation to the fund has been sent.

To donate
https://www.kintera.org/AutoGen/Simple/Donor.asp?ievent=278187&en=5nIHIMOiGdLDIFNnFcLAJFPpEhIPJSMpHiLIJPPvGkKTK4I