Washington Redskins kick returner Rock Cartwright remembers his brain "shaking like a bell" when he was walloped in a game against the New York Giants a few years ago.
"You know how a bell vibrates? That's how my brain was going at that time," he said. "I think five minutes later, I came back to myself. I went back out there and played football."
What Cartwright never did when the hit happened? He never told Washington's medical staff his head ached.
He's not alone. Thirty of 160 NFL players surveyed by The Associated Press from Nov. 2-15 replied that they have hidden or played down the effects of a concussion.
The AP embarked on the most extensive series of interviews about concussions since the subject became a major issue this season, talking to five players on each of the 32 teams -- nearly 10 percent of the league -- seeking out a mix of positions and NFL experience to get a cross-section of players. While not a scientific sampling, many of the players answered with startling candor.
"You get back up, and things are spinning," Giants backup quarterback David Carr said, "but you don't tell anyone."
Now the NFL wants players to keep tabs on each other and tell their teams if they believe someone else has a head injury.
Told of the AP's findings, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in an e-mail that commissioner Roger Goodell spoke to NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith last week about "the importance of players reporting head injuries, no matter how minor they believe they might be.
The commissioner said that process needs to include players observing and reporting to the team medical staff when a teammate shows symptoms of a concussion."
The NFL says its data shows an average of one reported concussion every other game -- about 120 to 130 concussions per regular season.
Of the 160 players interviewed by the AP, half said they've had at least one concussion playing football.
"Players acknowledged staying on the field despite feeling "dazed" or "woozy" or having blurred vision, because, in Miami Dolphins guard Justin Smiley's words, "It's what you're taught."Some talked about not wanting to let down the team. Others mentioned the importance of avoiding any sign of weakness in a sport where "warrior" and "gladiator" are viewed as compliments of the highest order.
And then there is the fear of losing a roster spot in a league where the absence of guaranteed contracts makes some players willing to sacrifice their well-being somewhere down the road for a paycheck in the here-and-now.
PLAYERS QUOTES
"I've had times where I walked up to the line, where I know the play, but don't know what to do." -- Raiders tight end Tony Stewart
"If you get a little headache or something, you're not going to say anything. This is football, and everyone gets their heads rattled a little bit." -- Colts safety Jamie Silva
"I don't want to come out of games. I always feel that's some kind of weakness. Somebody hits me and takes me out of the game, I feel weak. So if something happens, I take a minute to try to re-gather myself and then go back." -- Saints defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove
"If you're worried about concussions, you're in the wrong business." -- Panthers fullback Brad Hoover
"A lot of people think we're gladiators, but we're human beings. We get injured and we've got the rest of our lives to worry about. Playing football is like a vapor -- it's here and it's gone -- and you still have the rest of your life to live." -- Jets offensive lineman Damien Woody
"I've known of players hiding concussions. ... Sometimes players aren't real sure. They hit their head, they get a little cuckoo for a little while. It happens all the time." -- Chiefs center Rudy Niswanger
"I would not hide that. That's not something you hide. That puts you in a terrible position, as well as the team. I think that would be the worst thing you could do in a situation like that.
"So if I ever got a concussion, I would definitely tell. I don't know how you could hide a concussion." -- Patriots defensive lineman Mike Wright
"My wife worries about it a little more than I do." -- Giants tight end Kevin Boss
-- Associated Press
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