One of the biggest issues that has risen in not only in high school football, but in all of football, is concussions.  More and more evidence has been compiled showing how many players maybe and are suffering concussions during practice and games.  Technology, in regards to the helmets, has become increasingly better and more coaches are realizing the need to teach better tackling fundamentals, all in an effort to reduce the number of concussions.  But one thing that remains unchanged is the attitude towards concussions.  Too many people regard any weakness during football as unmanly.  While during the game of football you will have to play hurt, concussions are nothing to mess with.  How many players have suffered even a mild concussion, but continued to play in fear of being removed from games?

I am one of those numbers.  I suffered my first concussion right before second grade.  Falling off a wheat truck, my head struck a tailgate and then a concrete floor.  I spent several days in the hospital with a severe concussion under close observation.  This concussion took away any possible way that any doctor would clear me to play the game of football that I so desperately wanted to try.  That is until my senior year.  Finally the same doctor that had refused to clear me relented and allowed me to play.  Never could there have been a season come so slow.  Summer drug on forever.  On the first practice following our first game, I ran through a couple of tacklers landing forehead first on the ground.  I noticed a few stars and it took me a while to get back to normal, but in no way was I going to tell anybody, let alone a coach, because nobody was going to pull me from this game I had begged for so long to play.  Just a few days later in the second game of the season while attempting a tackle, the opponent dropped his head crashing his helment into mine.  I don’t remember the following five to ten minutes.  The first thing I remember is looking up at the sky and my jersey being cut off.  Watching the video later, I had come off the field talked to coaches, half time started and as I made my way back to the locker room, I went to a knee, then to my back.  It was another concussion and I was rushed off in the ambulance.  Had I told a coach about my incident earlier in the week would it had changed anything?  Well nobody can answer that question.  Here is what I know.

Symptoms still linger to this day.  Usually not noticeable, but still there.

The reason I share this story?

At some point people have to change their attitude towards head injuries in football.  Not all the baseline tests and technology in the world will result in the changes that everybody wants to see.

Kids tell your coaches.  Coaches take the time to listen.  What is missing one day of practice or just missing one day of contact drills really mean in the big picture?  I’ve been there.  It doesn’t mean much.