Deebo Samuel prefers grass over artificial turf 'any day'
This shouldn’t be a big surprise. Deebo Samuel would prefer to show off his dazzling skills on grass, not artificial turf.
Yes, the 49ers star officially joined the passionate discussion inspired by Aaron Rodgers‘ season-ending injury. So far, it seems to be every player in the league wants grass while the money-conscious owners are holding fast with artificial turf.
“I am a firm believer of grass. In the position I play, I would prefer playing on grass any day,” Deebo Samuel said in an interview with Sports Seriously.
The artificial turf discussion has been around longer than the Super Bowl. The Astrodome in Houston made it popular in 1966. And players have complained about it since then. Obviously, artificial turf has evolved over the decades.
The 30 NFL stadiums are split between grass and artificial turf. The Jets share MetLife Stadium with the Giants. And the stadium installed its current version of FieldTurf Core system back in May. But players noticed when MetLife switched to a grass field this summer for a friendly match between the English Premier League’s Manchester United and Arsenal.
Before he switched to the Jets, Rodgers quarterbacked the Packers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. And that surface is a mixture of synthetic fibers and Kentucky blue grass.
Deebo Samuel and 49ers play home games on grass
Meanwhile, Deebo Samuel and his 49ers play at Levi’s Stadium. It features a natural grass field.
Lloyd Howell, executive director of NFLPA, amplified the discussion earlier this week when he issued a statement that pleaded for grass.
“The players overwhelmingly prefer it and the data is clear that grass is simply safer than artificial turf,” Howell said. “It is an issue that has been near the top of the players’ list during my team visits and one I have raised with the NFL,” he said.
Here’s why there’s a concern with the surface. According to the NFLPA, players have a 28 percent higher rate of non-contact lower body injuries when playing on artificial turf. (Rodgers tore his Achilles when the Bills sacked him. There was plenty of contact). And of those non-contact injuries, players have a 32 percent higher rate of knee injuries on turf and a 69 percent higher rate for foot/ankle injuries.
Deebo Samuel and the 49ers will stick in California this week, but their game is against the Rams at SoFi Stadium. And that stadiumt, the most expensive in the NFL, features artificial turf.