Concussions in the NFL are far more common than anyone would like, especially when looking at the most recent research, but that doesn't mean that players are getting better about protecting themselves when it comes to head injuries.
In fact, according to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Detroit Lions safety Amari Spievey played with a concussion earlier this month as his team was trying to advance out of the first round of the NFC Playoffs. Goodell mentioned the incident while appearing on CBS' 60 Minutes on Sunday night, saying it is "far too common" that NFL players stay in games after sustaining concussions.
A transcription of the relevant portion, provided by the Detroit News, is quoted below:
Reporter Steve Kroft : "Concussions have always been a part of the NFL. This used to be called getting your bell rung, now it's treated as a serious brain injury and doctors, not coaches or players, decide if someone is fit to return to the game - as long as someone catches it."
NFL vice president of officiating Carl Johnson: "OK, commissioner, now this game, we had a concussed player that we didn't know about. And this guy didn't tell anybody. It's the man making the tackle on this play. Number 42 Amari Spievey suffered a concussion here and should have gone to the sidelines, but the officials missed it and he decided not to tell anyone about his symptoms so he could stay on the field."
Kroft: "Is that common?"
Goodell: "Unfortunately, it is. Far too common."
Hopefully Spievey didn't suffer any further head trauma in the game and it doesn't effect his future, but it's almost scary to think that things like that still happen in the NFL following all the research being done related to head trauma in sports.
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