Stokely Has Only Had 3 Concussions ... Er, 10

Is it a sign that you’ve been hit in the head too many times if you’re distinguishing between different flavors of concussions? Denver wide receiver Brandon Stokely is careful to note that while he suffered his 10th diagnosed concussion in his game against Jacksonville on Sunday, it was merely his third severe concussion, and that really should make all the difference. ↵↵⇥“I knew something wasn’t right. I was kind of foggy a little bit. And hey, you just keep playing hoping it’s not too bad because those things happen all the time in the NFL, and just hoping you can keep playing through it and nothing else would happen,” Stokley said.↵↵It is a terrifying notion that these things happen with such frequency that players can not only distinguish the severity of the concussion, but also attempt play through them, a mild brain injury that is still a FREAKIN’ BRAIN INJURY. Mmm...yes..that one was spicy, with hints of frontal cortex damage! Even the Nevada State Athletic Commission, who oversees numerous boxing and MMA matches, recommends at least a week layoff in between a concussion and any physical activity, much less strapping on a helmet and exposing your bruised thought gland to blows from 250 pound linebackers running at full speed.↵↵The NFL, being newly cautious after a scathing New York Times article on the league’s concussion policy (or lack thereof), will likely insist Stokely sit out this week, but the real trouble in crafting any kind of coherent concussion policy is in the nature of the condition itself: a player could likely get through many mild concussions -- as Stokely has -- without any serious medical attention or scrutiny. The league wants to craft responsible policy -- if only to protect itself against future lawsuits -- but the issue of concussions and the long-term effects of traumatic brain injuries will move as far as the players’ own admissions about their health will let them. Considering the complete lack of guarantees for NFL players regarding job safety, any admission of physical weakness while injured is unlikely...even if that injury involves the irreplaceable grey matter that sits between your ears.↵

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