Steelers linebacker James Harrison has developed a reputation through the years for giving concussions to opposing players, but Harrison also says he has had plenty of them himself.
Harrison told reporters today that he’s had at least a dozen concussions during career, nearly all unreported and undisclosed, according to Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Harrison also said he never missed a game for any of those concussions.
Although the NFL’s approach to preventing concussions has been to try to reduce helmet-to-helmet contact and fine and suspend players like Harrison who break the rules, Harrison has been pushing the use of military-grade Kevlar padding in helmets. Harrison says he was the first player in the NFL to wear such a helmet, and now many players have followed his lead.
According to Harrison, better helmets are the way to prevent brain injuries on the field. Improving helmets is certainly something the NFL should work on, but no helmet is going to prevent all concussions. Which means the NFL is going to continue to crack down on players like Harrison.