When is toughing it out dangerous?

I interviewed a high school football player once who told me that toughing it out was just part of the sport. I am inclined to agree most of the time. Football is a rough sport, a sport where players are out to stick you one way or another, and it has an inherent violence that cannot be avoided.

That player also told me all this while I sat interviewing him about a C1 vertebral injury that could have paralyzed or killed him but miraculously did not. As we spoke he sat with a rigid neck brace on and told me that he would not have played out his senior season any differently with the exception of going back in time to try to win the first four games of the season.

That kind of lust for the sport is what makes a good football player. A player willing to play through aches and pains is admired by his team and coaches for their dedication.

Of late, there have been a spate of publicized injuries, some routine ankle sprains or calf cramps, others more serious. These injuries are not being seen on one level but on several and often players eager to get back out on the field are risking their health to do so.

Gators quarterback Chris Leak denied playing the second half of Florida's 21-14 win against Georgia with a concussion Saturday but when Leak initially spoke to Florida head coach Urban Meyer after the game he said he suspected the hit may have in fact caused a concussion.

Monday Leak insisted that he was "perfectly fine" and "ready to go." His coach seemed less enthused with Leak's about-face saying he was very concerned that Leak had not alerted training staff to the possibility and symptoms.

Another much discussed concussion was that of Ben Roethlisberger, who suffered his second concussion in as many months a few weeks ago.

While injuries are part of sports at any level, one has to wonder if players are taking their zeal for their chosen sport too far. Some injuries carry much more severe consecquences than others.

Ankle sprains give players problems for varying lengths of time but do not impede the normal day-to-day processes of life. Concussions, on the other hand, can cause lasting problems that range from difficulty with movement, learning or speech if suffered repeatedly.

Prudence after an injury seems to be a better option. Playing tough is admirable and a fantastic way to show dedication. Playing with a severe injury when it is not the life or death of a season is dangerous.