Runners don’t have concussion protocols. Though, I’ve slipped on a trail going into a deep ravine, hitting the back of my head about as hard as Tua Tagovailo in his game against Buffalo on September 25, 2022. And I was not wearing a helmet.
Tua got up that day, shook his head, his knee’s buckled, and the NFL took him off the field. He went into the locker room and went through the concussion protocols. Both a team doctor and an independent physician evaluated him.
Later in the game, Tua returned to the field, cleared to play by both doctors.
Tua indicated the issue was a back injury. He could have mistaken his back for his neck. If you pinch your spinal cord, you might get numb in your toes and fingers and stumble.
Four days later, Miami played at Cincinnati when Tua was knocked to the field again. Once again, the side of his helmet impacted the grass. He lay on the field, unable to control his fingers and extremities. The pictures were not pretty. Three hours later, Tua was on the flight back to Miami with his team.
In the following days, the talking heads of sports media voiced their opinion on how the NFL mishandles concussions and does not care about the health of their players. Though none have medical degrees or credentials, they were able to diagnose a concussion from watching the clips.
The commentators finally acknowledged their lack of credentials by the Sunday talk shows. Though they could not detail the NFL concussion protocols, they indicated the situation looked bad.
It’s been at least ten years since the NFL implemented concussion protocols. Initially, the team doctors were to manage the protocols. Eventually, the protocols included independent spotters and physicians to restrict players from games.
The protocol starts by restricting the player to an on-field tent or the locker room. The player is cognitively tested with the results compared to a preseason baseline test. If the player shows no mental reduction or physical symptoms, he is cleared to play.
Do players cheat on the baseline test? Do players know how to cheat on the protocol tests?
If you ask a player how they feel, they’ll respond, “I’m OK.” The NFL does have a responsibility to protect players from themselves. Maybe an uncheatable test is required.
During the week between games, Tua and Miami head coach Mike McDaniel discussed the upcoming game plan, which was detailed and complex. McDaniel indicated seeing no cognitive issues during his interactions.
After the second Tua issue, the NFL let the independent doctor go. Perhaps, the short week did not help Tua’s recovery.
The NFL schedulers could do a better job reducing short weeks between games. The players association could require a minimum of six days between games.
Scheduling bye weeks before a Thursday night or after a Monday night game would be an easily implemented concept.
There are more concussions in practice than in games. During a two-hour practice, there are many more opportunities for contact than the 150 plays in a game. A practice is a three-ring circus with many groups running simultaneous drills.
In my high school football days of the early 1970s, we replaced the word concussion with getting your bell rung. Getting your bell rung was followed by getting up and continuing.
My incidents of rung bells happened in practice from opposing knees striking the side of my helmet. I never lost my memory. I remember getting back in the huddle and going through the steps for a few plays. I’ve always wondered where I got this twitch and strange personality.
About that slip on the trail, I got up, and the back of my head hurt a little. I continued my run and wondered, “should there be competency protocols for Ultrarunners?”
I’ve been working on a post titled, “you know you’re not competent to continue an ultra.” I need a few suggestions for content.