ldquoI hit him so hard the clash of helmets and pads sounded like a gunshot across the field I crushed him with the hit held on to him and crushed him again when I slammed him into the ground I had arrivedrdquo Arlo Brodie loves being at the heart of the action on the football field getting hit hard and hitting back harder Thatrsquos where he belongs leading his team to championships becoming ldquoStarlordquo on his way to the top Arlorsquos dad cheers him on but his mother quotes head injury statistics and refuses to watch games Arlorsquos girlfriend tries to make him see how dangerously hersquos playing when that doesnrsquot work she calls time out on their relationship Even Arlorsquos coaches begin to track his hit count ready to pull him off the field when he nears the limit But Arlorsquos not worried about tallying collisions The winning plays the cheering crowds and the adrenaline rush are enough to convince Arlo that everything is OKmdashin spite of the pain the pounding the dizziness and the confusionHit Count explores Americarsquos love affair with football and our attempts to reconcile the clear evidence of its dangers with our passion for the game.
