“I think I have kind of put that behind me,” Collie said. “I don’t like to dwell on it too much just because it can affect your play going across the middle and catching another ball…So I try to ignore any thought I do have of it.”
Those were the remarks made my Colts wide receiver Austin Collie in regard to the multiple concussions he suffered last season.
By Dan Trautman Injury Guru
Most people know how important the brain is, as it is what controls everything we do as human beings. Whether we are aware of it or not, the brain is at work. It may be telling Austin Collie to catch a touchdown pass, or control the amount of adrenaline rushing through his body when he is trying to escape tacklers. It is responsible for every move we make, every thought we think and every biological process in our bodies. This is why we must protect the brain and why the NFL is trying to reduce the amount of concussions.
The brain is an organ protected by the skull. There is a liquid called cerebrospinal fluid that fills in the space between the brain and the skull. Essentially, the brain floats in this fluid. Cerebrospinal fluid acts as a cushion for the brain so it doesn’t rattle around and contact the skull every time we move or shake our head. However, in football, a helmet-to-helmet hit can jostle the brain to the point where the fluid is no longer cushion enough to prevent contact with the skull, typically resulting in a bruise on the brain, also known as a concussion.
The biggest risk factor for getting a concussion is playing a contact sport. The next biggest factor is having a previous concussion. Also, the second (or in Collie’s case, the third) concussion doesn’t require nearly the same impact. You’re odds of getting a concussion increase drastically if you have had one before.
Many people, including Collie, are optimistic about his outlook for this season. However, I am not quite so confident. If you recall, Collie suffered two concussions last year, and after the second he was carried off the field on a stretcher after lying motionless for several minutes. As a football player myself, I have seen far too many players suffer concussions, come back too soon, get concussed again, and have their career ended.
Collie is a great player and an asset to any fantasy team when he is healthy. However, Collie is a receiver who makes a living running routes across the middle of the field, so there is a high probability that he gets another concussion. Because of this, I would steer clear of him in your drafts.
Dan Trautman is a wide receiver at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse majoring in Exercise and Sports Science. Read more articles from him here. Have a question for him? Ask him on Twitter @DanTrautman.