Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre has not been afraid to talk about the toll his NFL playing career took on him since his retirement from the league back in 2010.
That didn’t change during a recent interview on NBC’s Megyn Kelly Today, in which Favre opened up more than ever before about the head trauma he dealt with during an awe-inspiring 20-year career in the NFL.
When asked how many concussions he suffered during his career, Favre’s response seems to fall in line with others who have since retired from the game. It’s also under the guise of research made famous by the famed Dr. Bennet Omalu, who brought the term Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) to the forefront of the American lexicon.
“That I know of? Three (or) four, maybe. But as we’re learning about concussions, there’s a term that’s often used in football, and maybe in other sports, that I got dinged,” Favre said. “And as Dr. Omalu, who was portrayed by Will Smith in the movie Concussion has said, dinged is a concussion…and if that is a concussion, I’ve had hundreds, probably thousands.”
These are surreal words to come out of the mouth of a man who defined the quarterback position in the modern NFL during his two decades on the gridiron.
By now, it’s well known just how much of an impact football has on your body. It’s been brought to the forefront by the science community and following the suicides of several former NFL players who were dealing with CTE. And while the NFL has in the past pushed back on this idea, it’s taking steps to improve the overall safety of the game.
But as we continue to hear stories like the one Favre portrayed here, it’s becoming readily apparent that those who played in previous eras are feeling the impact of inaction by the NFL.