Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger self-reported a concussion last season. He explained why Wednesday on the MMQB Podcast.
Roethlisberger left late in a 39-30 loss to the Seahawks last November, and was evaluated for a concussion. Roethlisberger said he is "proud" he self-reported the concussion, though he admitted to not disclosing other injuries in the past.
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"Everybody who's ever played the game hasn't reported an injury," said Roethlisberger, who completed 36 of 55 passes for 456 yards and a touchdown before leaving that game. "It wasn't about an injury; I've played through many injuries. But when you're talking about your head, that's a whole other ball game. You can replace a lot of body parts; you can't replace a brain.
"You see the effects of it from past players, the CTE stuff. I'm thinking about my family and long-term. I love this game and my brothers that I play football with. I would encourage any player who has an issue with their brain to report it properly."
Roethlisberger said he was honest with team medical staff about his symptoms.
"It was different," he said. "I had never really felt that way before. I remember getting hit and didn't black out. I could see straight ahead fine, but my peripheral vision was very wavy. It was like looking through water."
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Roethlisberger, who switched to a more protective helmet early in his career, did not miss a game and threw for 364 yards and four scores a week later in a 45-10 win over the Colts.
Roethlisberger — whose 4-4 Steelers welcome the 7-1 Cowboys to town on Sunday — said that since switching helmets, he no longer gets "fuzzy" after big hits.
"Since I did that," Roethlisberger said, "I feel so much better and more confident in my brain and how I feel."