Rating: (0 votes - average)

Two players violated league concussion protocol in last weekend's wild-card games, according to a letter sent by the NFL's head, neck and spine committee chairmen to all team doctors and trainers.

In a document obtained by The Associated Press, Dr. Hunt Batjer and Dr. Richard Ellenbogen say that one player actually re-entered the game and another refused to leave the sideline. The doctors did not identify the players, but one was Green Bay tackle David Bakhtiari, who went into the game for an extra-point try despite being examined for a concussion and not cleared.

The other player was Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis, who remained on the sideline but did not get back on the field.



"On two occasions last weekend, and contrary to the advice of the team medical staffs, players who had been diagnosed with a concussion and therefore declared ineligible for play nonetheless refused to leave the sidelines as required by league concussion protocols," the letter said. "In one case, the player went back onto the field for one play before being removed from the game.

"We emphasize that we find no fault in how the team medical staffs conducted themselves last weekend. If a player refuses to follow your advice and leave the sidelines after being diagnosed with a concussion, we recommend that the head athletic trainer seek assistance from the player's position coach (or another member of the coaching staff) or from another team official to remove the player from the sidelines as soon as possible."

The NFL's Madden Rule requires a player diagnosed with a concussion to be taken to the locker room or another quiet location.

No fines will be imposed for the violations.

read more

xan

He was pulled from the game and his helmet removed. That he "didn't go to the locker room" is a fairly minor technical violation of the protocol.

Plus, at that situation, you'd have had to pull a gun on me to go to the locker.

Srgt. Hulka

This

CoreyO

Woah thats surpriseing that no one will be fined. You get fined for chewing gum these days

dizzle88

Did you see keenan lewis trying to get back on the field, not one person - be it the coaching staff or a player were going to send him to the locker room at that point

The guy is a beast

Rugby Saint II

So......you have a ton of adrenaline pumping through your system and they want you to go to a quiet location......even though you have trained all your life to be here today. There is no way these guys want to leave!
And they want you to leave the side lines for a quiet place? If you have had a concussion you know there isn't such a place to go. Those bells are ringing no matter where you go.

Schmohams

Good, I hope every single player on the Saints who receives a concussion breaks it. I'd rather have a guy fired up to play with head pains than a guy who goes to the lockerooom

The Dude

And the pussification continues. The likelyhood of him getting hurt standing on the sidelines is very slim to none. Its awesome for the rest of the team to see a player who wants it that bad. I personally loved watching him throw a fit. That is a winning attitude and is contagious.

WhoDat!656

I was listening to the game on the radio and I am almost certain I heard the announcer say that Lewis went to the locker room but he when he came out he didn't have his helmet.

Utah_Saint

He's too much of a bad*** for any concussion protocol.