Brett Favre says he might have had ”thousands” of concussions during his Hall of Fame career.
The three-time NFL MVP who played from 1992-2010 and was known for his aggressive approach to football said Thursday on NBC’s ”Megyn Kelly Today” that
he is experiencing short-term memory issues.
Favre
Frostee Rucker Jersey , 48, has become an advocate for concussion research and said he had three or four known concussions during his lengthy career, which
spanned 302 regular-season games and 24 in the postseason.
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”But as we’re learning about concussions,” he told Kelly, ”there’s a term we use in football and maybe other sports, that I got `dinged.’ When you have
ringing of the ears, seeing stars, that is a concussion.
”If that’s a concussion
Jared Veldheer Jersey , then I’ve had hundreds, probably thousands, throughout my career, which is frightening.”
Favre added that he worries about developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) as he ages.
”My football career has meant a great deal to me and has provided a lot of things, a lot of joy not only for me, but for my family,” Favre said. ”Now, my
family doesn’t have to face the physical problems that could potentially
arise
Tyvon Branch Jersey , or the mental problems that could, but they are directly associated with me in that regard. It’s kind of a blessing and a
curse.
”I grew up playing football. My dad was the coach, he was tough on me, he was a hard-nosed, just in-your-face-type of guy, and he didn’t know what concussions
were about. We knew basically what a concussion was, but the thought process in
those days was you would never come out of a game or practice because you had a
little head ding. You would be considered, for lack of a better term
J. J. Nelson Jersey , a sissy.
”My point in this is 30 years ago, there wasn’t a problem in anyone’s mind from playing football. It was just a matter of being tough, and the ones who
stuck it out and made the most of it. Now, what we know, is it has nothing to do
with toughness and that’s a lot scarier. So I look at my career as something
wonderful. I didn’t know; had I known in Year 5, I would have looked at my
future a bit closer as my career unfolded.”
Favre appeared on Kelly’s program with three other retired star athletes: soccer’s Abby Wambach, baseball’s David Ross and Favre’s fellow Pro Football
Hall of Famer and former teammate Kurt Warner. All four have invested in a
company developing a concussion-treatment drug that is not yet approved by the
Food and Drug Administration.
Favre said he would not encourage youngsters to play football.
”The brain and just the skull itself, for (8- to 15-year-olds)
A.Q. Shipley Jersey , and maybe even older, is not developed enough and they should not be playing tackle football,” Favre said. ”We should protect
them, especially when there is no treatment solution out there.”
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