Merrill Hoge says Troy might sit out several weeks

[hawaiiansteel]

was just watching ESPN and Merrill Hoge who knows a lot about concussions says Troy might sit out several weeks with his latest head injury.

maybe Troy needs to change his tackling technique and not just launch himself into opposing ball carriers?

[Eddie Spaghetti]

Re: Merrill Hoge says Troy might sit out several weeks

I would not be shocked.

this is dangerous ground right now.

[sd steel]

Re: Merrill Hoge says Troy might sit out several weeks

Troy isn't a big guy. To bring down someone bigger than you you have to go low. Both of his concussions this year were a result of his head hitting the knee of the opposing player. I will get on Troy for not wrapping up, but flying into the legs of a big ball carrier is how you are supposed to tackle.

[Eich]

Re: Merrill Hoge says Troy might sit out several weeks

You have to wonder how much longer his career will be. With his playing style and history of concussions in college and the NFL, how much more can his head take?

[WindyCitySteel]

Re: Merrill Hoge says Troy might sit out several weeks

Ugh. We need Troy against the Bengals. Hope Woodley is back.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Re: Merrill Hoge says Troy might sit out several weeks

Not good news.

[D Rock]

Re: Merrill Hoge says Troy might sit out several weeks

Consider me in the crowd that is betting he retires sooner rather than later.

[williar]

Re: Merrill Hoge says Troy might sit out several weeks

Troy has always tackled head first. I'm surprised he's last this long using his head to tackle.

[sd steel]

Re: Merrill Hoge says Troy might sit out several weeks

Troy has always tackled head first. I'm surprised he's last this long using his head to tackle.

Is there really another way to tackle? Your head does sit on top of your shoulders.

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Merrill Hoge says Troy might sit out several weeks

Steelers again hide behind “concussion-like symptoms”

Posted by Mike Florio on November 28, 2011



Virtually every time the Steelers play a primetime game on Sunday, a key player sustains an apparent concussion and the team apparently tries its damnedest to keep the key player away from the arbitrary and restrictive gears of the league’s concussion protocol.

It happened again last night, when safety Troy Polamalu took a knee to the noggin. Instead of promptly taking him to the locker room for a full evaluation under quiet and calm circumstances, the Steelers allowed him to remain on the sidelines for the rest of the first half — at one point with his helmet on, as if he were returning to the game.

Fortunately, the Steelers got wise during intermission, deciding to leave Polamalu in the locker room for the balance of the game. Given their past handling of head injuries, that’s progress.

Still, after the game, coach Mike Tomlin wouldn’t admit that Polamalu suffered a concussion. Instead, Tomlin once again broke out a term that he has used at least twice before this season: “concussion-like symptoms.”

It’s unclear whether this term allows the Steelers to skirt the concussion protocol, but there has to be a reason for the franchise’s stubborn refusal to acknowledge that a player has suffered a concussion. And while I firmly believe that men who have suffered a concussion but who are lucid should be able to assume the risk of returning to action before every last symptom of the concussion has disappeared, teams need to be honest — and fully transparent — when it comes to determining that a player has suffered a concussion.

Three weeks ago, the Jets and the Steelers provided starkly different examples regarding the willingness, and lack thereof, to offer candor on this critical question. Pittsburgh’s refusal to discuss such situations perhaps contributed to Al Michaels’ comparison last night of the Steelers to “old East Germany” when it comes to the flow of information.

It’s a fair comparison, and more people need to be willing to call out the Steelers for their handling of concussions.

Or, more accurately, for their handling of concussion-like symptoms.

[url="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/11/28/steelers-again-hide-behind-concussion-like-symptoms/"]http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... -symptoms/[/url]

[Slapstick]

Re: Merrill Hoge says Troy might sit out several weeks

...but there has to be a reason for the franchise’s stubborn refusal to acknowledge that a player has suffered a concussion.

Perhaps because they don't know...

Perhaps Troy is saying he's fine and answering all the questions...

Perhaps the symptom of a concussion that they are referring to is the fact that he hit the turf...

[Eddie Spaghetti]

Re: Merrill Hoge says Troy might sit out several weeks

just heard on the radio that bouchette tweeted that troy is ok and expected to play sunday.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Re: Merrill Hoge says Troy might sit out several weeks

Troy has always tackled head first. I'm surprised he's last this long using his head to tackle.

Is there really another way to tackle? Your head does sit on top of your shoulders.

You used "head" and "shoulders" in a post about Troy...

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Merrill Hoge says Troy might sit out several weeks

Report: Polamalu will play despite more “concussion-like” symptoms

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on November 28, 2011



In mid-October, Steelers safety Troy Polamalu suffered “concussion-like” symptoms after a “head” injury.

That’s just how the Steelers like to classify concussions. Polamalu was knocked out of Sunday night’s game with a similar problem, which caused some speculation Monday that Polamalu could miss an extended period of time.

Polamalu has a history of concussions dating back to college, so it would seemingly make sense for the Steelers to play it safe things safe. They could sit Polamalu with the playoffs still six weeks away.

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that’s not going to happen.

“Troy Polamalu is fine and will play versus Bengals. He was clear and lucid by halftime but kept out because of league rules,” Dulac writes.

Perhaps Polamalu’s history of concussions helps explain why the Steelers love using the phrase “concussion-like symptoms” instead of just admitting Polamalu has suffered two concussions in the last six weeks. They want the flexibility to keep playing him.

We just hope Polamalu doesn’t suffer any “concussion-like symptoms” that he can’t recover from.

[url="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/11/28/report-polamalu-will-play-despite-another-head-injury/"]http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... ad-injury/[/url]

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Merrill Hoge says Troy might sit out several weeks

I don't know what is worse...PFT's position regarding "concussion-like" symptoms, or DeeDub's position regarding "flu-like" symptoms.