Go with the data, right. The data shows that NFL players have damage, not the average high school player.

That's like saying, "Studies show that the top 0.01% of hackers are suicidal, so don't do computer programming!"

I've played other team contact sports (Basketball & soccer), but really football was the best at making me resilient. There's no comparison. The benefits outweigh the risk for 99.9% of players, & for the elite who go on to the NFL (0.1%), then the risks may outweigh the benefits.