That was '05 in Tuscaloosa. He did indeed do it again at home in '06. (Skip to 1:33. Video quality isn't that great)
Lots of drama in the beginning of this thread. Here is the lowdown on concussions as best as I can explain it in a simplified way. Concussions are essentially a brain bruise. They are not true bleeds in the brain, otherwise known as infarcts or hematomas. True bleeds are way more serious and way more impactful initially. Concussions are not seen on most routine types of imaging (i.e. you can't see it on a CT scan) and are typically not life-threatening initially. Hematomas and infarcts are seen by routine imaging and are truly life threatening immediately. So, a negative CaT scan rules out a hematoma, but does not rule in a concussion. A concussion is essentially a clinical diagnosis of exclusion once you rule out a more serious initial issue, like a hematoma. Just like a bruise of your thigh, short term you are vulnerable to injure it again if you get out there too quickly, or you may overcompensate and injure a different area. Similarly, if you don't let the brain rest, and you get back into a high risk activity too quickly, take another blow, the next concussion may cause much more extensive problem and be an actual threat to your life. This is what is known as "second concussion syndrome." It is typically a second concussion that occurs before the first concussion has had a chance to fully resolve. This is what happens when you hear about a player die from concussion at the moment it happens. Again, most concussions are not life threatening immediately. Second concussion syndrome is the exception, not the rule, but it is what medical people fear. Lastly, there is the issue of cumulative concussions resulting in Lou Gehrig disease. This is what Steve Gleason suffers from. The theory is that a person has a genetic predisposition to develop LGD. Upon multiple collisions w/resultant concussions ranging from mild, seemingly insignificant hits, to more severe ones, there is a protein released as part of the inflammatory response. The proteins build up in the fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord, known as CSF, and it slowly "numbs" the nerves that exit the spinal cord. This is why you start having symptoms neck down w/LGD. If a person w/this predisposition never plays a collision sport like football, and doesn't suffer repeated concussions, they won't develop LGD; kind of like a predisposition to alcoholism, but you have to drink alcohol for that predisposition to come out. There is no way yet to know if you have that predisposition, but certainly a kid like Williford, who, multiple months after an initial severe one, is having a second that resulted in a 5 min. unconscious period, I would be fearful that he seems "vulnerable". He is too far out for "second concussion syndrome" I would think, but certainly those who seem to get them more and more once they had that first significant one, seem more vulnerable to long term issues, like LGD. If he makes the difficult decision to discontinue any activity that has a high risk for concussion, then he should heal fully and theoretically not be vulnerable to develop LGD. Hope that helps clear things up. I would not expect Williford to have any serious issues short term, once he recovers fully from this most recent concussion (some people do have an extensive period of headaches, dizziness, confusion, poor memory, etc, but eventually that usually resolves). From a big picture standpoint, it's all about him not getting back out there too quickly in the short term, and perhaps considering avoiding/quiting high risk, collision type activities to avoid any long term poor outcomes. PiNC
I certainly hope he has good people around him and that they are trying to convince him that football is not worth his life. LGD is nothing to phuck with and if getting bumped on the noggin increases his chances even 1% that is too high. Hell I was cleaning out my truck the other day and found some Army pamphlet that they sent to me. Military announces that servicemen are 50% more likely to get LGD. Well joy to the phucking world I tell ya. Anyway, best of luck to JW and the Tigers.
