Brian DeMarco: Used Up By The NFL And Spit Out

Brian DeMarco has shared personal details, bringing awareness to the dark underbelly of the NFL. The part that hides using players is telling them their bodies are all used up and then spitting them out to retire in poverty and pain. At the end of this article, think, “What if this was my brother, uncle, nephew, father, or son? Is this sort of treatment okay? Brace yourselves; it’s not a pretty story.

Who Is Brian DeMarco?

There aren’t a lot of details about Brian DeMarco prior to his stint in the NFL. He was born in Berea, Ohio, in 1972 and attended high school in Lorain, Ohio.

Brian would then become a Michigan Wolverine before being drafted in the second round of the 1995 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Even DeMarco’s NFL career was fairly unremarkable. He was a guard/tackle for the Jaguars in their first year in the NFL and for three seasons after. He would become a Bengal in 1999, signing a three-year contract and only playing one because of injury.

Although Brian achieved a high level of success by reaching and succeeding in the NFL, it was the injuries he sustained on the gridiron and his experiences post-retirement that garnered the most attention. He is an important voice for current and former NFL players.

THE Injury

This injury is not for the squeamish. It’s partially because of the injury but more so because of how the medical staff handled that injury on the sidelines.

Picture this: Bengals quarterback Brian DeMarco is getting down, preparing to tackle the linebacker on the opposite side of the field, creating a path for his teammate, the running back Corey Dillon.

In an incident of double friendly fire, someone tripped Dillon from behind, causing the running back to fall onto DeMarco’s legs, pinning the guard’s knees to the ground. The linebacker lowers his helmet into Brian, sending one half of his body one way and the other half another way.

If Brian DeMarco wasn’t 6-foot-7 and 320 pounds, he might have been split in half. It felt like he had been. Brian felt a pop in his back and had pain like he had never felt before. He thought he was probably paralyzed.

That in itself was scary enough, but frankly, the medical team’s response was scarier. He was brought to the side of the field, although it doesn’t sound like with the help of a stretcher or a cart and was laid on the bench. The trainer determined that Brian wasn’t paralyzed; he just couldn’t sit up.

Frankly, with medical help like that, it’s amazing they didn’t paralyze more injured people. It only gets worse from here.

In what apparently was a routine “treatment,” a doctor pulled up DeMarco’s jersey and injected him with a needle so long it would make a dentist bristle, shooting lidocaine into his back.

The numbness set in, bringing Brian to his feet and back onto the field in minutes.

DeMarcably Worse

Brian DeMarco’s retirement may be portrayed as a personal choice or a mutual decision, but it was fully one-sided.

An article published by the Bengals in 2000 revealed that DeMarco was shocked when he was fired. It allegedly wasn’t about the money; it was about the coaching grades. Likely, it wasn’t either of those things.

Brian was getting worn out. He had bone chips in both shoulders, ending his 1999 season early.

Combine that with his spinal cord injury, and he was becoming a liability.

Sadly, DeMarco went out rationalizing his performance. Pointing out where he had gone wrong and where he hadn’t in the preseason of 2000. He said his elbows were fine. He only missed one practice because of them, and that was on a day where two were scheduled.

Brian tried to reassure himself that another team would sign him. Except… they didn’t.

He had bought a farm in the Cincinnati area with his high school sweetheart and wife, Vanessa, along with their three kids. The family loved it there; they didn’t want to move. Except… they would.

Brian Barreling

Vanessa and Brian didn’t make it post-retirement. In fact, Vanessa buried him in the media as well. She let us know that DeMarco was not visiting his children or paying child support since 2005 as of 2007.

She also “feared” that he was exaggerating to garner attention, seeking financial support and pity.

DeMarco says he has 17 fractures in his back and has been homeless three times between 2002 and 2007.

The former couple clearly had hard feelings and co-parenting issues to work out. The likelihood that Brian is faking is very low, considering his injury history.

The Cherry On Top

Jennifer Smith of Gridiron Greats, a non-profit dedicated to providing financial and medical assistance for ex-NFL players who experienced injuries, came to visit DeMarco around the same time Vanessa expressed herself publicly.

Brian was now living near Austin, Texas, with his wife Autumn in a home that was described as “flimsy” and “dour.” He was also described as “dirt poor,” and Jennifer found no food in the home, not a crumb. Autumn and Brian hadn’t eaten in days, and they had a whole 75 cents to their name.

Smith observed that DeMarco couldn’t find a position that didn’t hurt. Sitting down, lying down—it all was incredibly painful. Getting up wasn’t a great option, either. He was sweating even though it wasn’t hot. He also had full-body spasms of pain. Brian was self-conscious about it too. Not exactly looking like a malingering attention-seeker.

Jennifer Smith was able to provide assistance. She was able to do an emergency food run to Walmart to fill the couple’s pantry. Gridiron Greats would also help with further financial assistance and likely medical assistance too.

As of 2023, we know that Brian is still alive and appears to be doing better physically (he can stand up). DeMarco also seems to have a business. On social media, he only counts his children with his wife, Autumn, seemingly leaving out his other three kids entirely.

Brian’s son was diagnosed with leukemia in 2019. No updates have been provided on his health since 2020, and it’s unclear how he is doing.

Hopefully, things get better for the DeMarco family. Like Brian, many former players continue to struggle, and the lack of support from the NFL only makes it worse.

Brian DeMarco brings awareness to the people who don’t want to, can’t, or are no longer alive to tell their own similar tales. Thank you for sharing!

Want more details on problematic pain injections in the NFL? Read all about it here.