Lions Say -- Again -- Calvin Johnson Wrong About Concussion
DETROIT (CBS Detroit) For the second time this season, the Lions have stepped in to "clarify" comments superstar Calvin Johnson made about his own injuries.
Johnson said during media briefings Thursday he was having a hard time gripping the ball because ""I actually have some nerve damage that was kind of messing on my grip a little bit, not to blame it on that, but I think a concussion could have maybe something to do with some of that damage I had going on."
Then the Lions issued this statement Friday reversing what Megatron told the media.
"I am aware that I did not suffer a concussion in our game against the Vikings earlier this year. I misused the terms 'nerve damage' and 'concussion,'" the statement attributed to Johnson, and released by the team, says.
It adds: "I have not suffered any nerve damage nor have I received any treatment for nerve damage. I did suffer a stinger and have also experienced the kind of wear and tear that most NFL players are dealing with at this point in the season."
Johnson, suffering from knee soreness after playing his best game of the season this weekend in the Lions win over Jacksonville, is expected to play Sunday against the Vikings.
This is the second time the player and the team have seemed to be at odds over the nature of his injuries. Johnson alluded to the idea he had suffered a concussion in late September in a helmet-to-helmet collision with Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway. At the time, he said in an interview on 97.1 The Ticket, " …You get concussed, you gotta keep on playing. You can't get afraid to go across the middle any more than you were at the beginning."
The Lions quickly rejected the notion he had suffered a concussion, saying he had passed every test, and head coach Jim Schwartz said in no uncertain terms Johnson did not have a concussion.
"With respect to the Minnesota game on Sept. 30, Calvin sustained a hit that resulted in him being removed from the game and evaluated pursuant to the appropriate concussion protocol by our team doctors," said a statement released by the Lions. "He was also subsequently examined the following day and was found to have no concussion."
