Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger did a good thing and a brave thing when he self-reported concussion symptoms last week, taking himself out of a game.
But while heads and knees are different, Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola shows us exactly why.
Via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, Amendola said he was angry about having to miss last week’s game against the Broncos because of a knee injury, and was a little frustrated the team made him take a week off to get well.
“I don’t want to miss a game, and I missed a game,” Amendola said. “We’re here to play football. I’m going to try to get back out there as quick as I can.
“That’s why we’re here. It’s why everyone is here — to play football and not be in the tub. I don’t like it. It’s not a good feeling to not be available.”
He was injured the week before against the Bills, on a third quarter reception when his knee hit the ground and Bills cornerback Ronald Darby landed on top of him. He limped to the sideline but said he wasn’t in pain, and came back a minute later to try to return a punt, when it was obviously not a good decision.
“It didn’t hurt when I was walking around, so I figured why not go test it [on the punt]. It wasn’t able to go at a high level,” Amendola said. “I had a good idea what I was going to do with [the punt return]. I just couldn’t get to the ball. . . .
“I didn’t think it was bad at first, and then I couldn’t run, like turn over my legs at a high rate. I didn’t want to hobble around out there and get killed.”
Amendola played through a torn groin in 2013, so his tough-guy credentials can’t be questioned. But his willingness to try to play on one leg underscores the need for spotters and increased medical personnel on the sidelines to watch for concussions, because there are many players who will try to play through other injuries, even if the hobbling around and getting killed is a longer-term proposition than a punt return.
