Amendola: "My mind wasn't working" after hit
Posted by Michael David Smith on November 3, 2009 8:21 PM ET
The hardest hit of Week 8 in the NFL came at Ford Field, where Rams kickoff returner Danny Amendola was drilled by the Lions' Zach Follett. It was the kind of brutal, violent collision that happens all too often on NFL kickoff returns, and two days later, Amendola says he doesn't remember leaving the field.
"The hit didn't hurt, but
my mind wasn't working," Amendola said. "I walked off, I think. Just got my head buzzed a little bit."
Amendola is scheduled to undergo tests for concussion-related symptoms on Wednesday, and it's unclear whether he'll play against the Saints in Week 10, when the Rams return from their bye week. The mere fact that he's thinking of playing -- and the Rams are thinking of letting him play -- underscores how both players and teams still operate with a mindset that concussions aren't particularly serious injuries.
Reporters also often operate with that mindset. The same
Associated Press story that quotes Amendola saying his mind wasn't working notes that Rams guard Jacob Bell also suffered a concussion -- his second of the year -- but "was cleared after tests showed he had only a mild one." There's nothing mild about a player having two concussions by the season's midway point, but for many players, it's a part of life in the NFL.
Yeah.
