Reports: DeSean Jackson has severe concussion; memory loss

Yahoo! Sports

Mon Oct 18 06:30am EDT

Reports: DeSean Jackson has severe concussion; memory loss

The news is bad, but unsurprising: Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson (notes) has a severe concussion. That's the word from the NFL Network and Jay Glazer.

Again, that probably doesn't come as a shock to you if you've seen the hit. What makes it more troublesome is that it's not Jackson's first concussion. He suffered one last year in a game against Washington, and missed the rest of that game and sat out the next week, too.

That the word "severe" appears in front of the most recent one is disconcerting. So is the memory loss.

Jackson isn't just a guy who suffered a concussion now, he's officially a guy with a concussion history. What little we do now about the cumulative effect of concussions is frightening, and what we don't know is downright terrifying.

"Concussion-prone" is not a label you want when you play a position in the NFL that routinely exposes you to hard hits, particularly if you're a guy who makes a living by going across the middle and putting yourself in harm's way a dozen times a game.

Speaking of harm's way, quarterback Kevin Kolb (notes) knows he had something to do with putting Jackson there (via NFL.com):

"I just felt so bad. I'm part of the play, and I never saw the guy.
"DeSean is a tough guy, and he'll be out there as soon as he can. We got to take this concussion situation serious."

I agree, and I know Kolb meant well with the comments, but I take issue with that last part. Let's not link Jackson's "toughness" with how quickly he returns to the field. You can't beat a concussion with will power or determination. You've just got to wait it out, take care of yourself and fight off the urge to return to the field before you're ready. That's the part that requires toughness.