49ers Star Anthony Davis On Concussion: ‘It’s Scary When Your Brain’s Not Working’

Anthony Davis has spoken about the process of recovering from concussion – an injury he received on November 16, during a game against the Giants. The 49ers right tackle has been working toward being medically cleared to return to play, and has been undertaking steps in the NFL concussion protocol, including weights and cardio work. Though Davis is not yet symptom-free, The Washington Post notes that his outlook is positive, having returned to the locker room.

“It was good. I felt like part of the team again.”

The Rutgers University alum was drafted in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the 49ers, and signed a five year contract worth $37.5 million. Injury this season, and the associated absence from the team line-up, has disrupted what had otherwise been a perfect record of having started each of the first 64 games of his professional career. However, Davis took the time to explain the lasting effects of the concussion to members of the press.

“It was a concussion. It’s not fun. It’s scary when your brain’s not working the way it’s supposed to. And the culture of this league is, ‘You’re a big, tough guy.’

“It was like a white fog. When you look out, it’s a white fog. Or just having a simple conversation (is hard). You just feel slowed down. It’s scary, but that’s only like the first three, four days you feel the intensity of it. Each day it gets better.”

Not realising the severity of the injury at the time, The Washington Post reports that Davis took a flight to New York and drove himself home.

“After the game, adrenalin’s still pumping. You’re just a little loopy.”

Shortly afterward, he tweeted his recollections of the incident.

2nd to last play of the game I got a spinning elbow to the face. I was literally knocked out for a sec. I’m officially an NFL player now.

— Bam Davis (@AnthonyDavis76) November 17, 2014

Concussion in the NFL is something of a hot button issue – particularly since the league was faced with an unprecedented number of civil lawsuits in 2012 regarding its alleged failure to protect players from concussions. That legal challenge resulted in a $765 million settlement in August 2013. Anthony Davis was keen to express his feeling on the progress of steps to protect players from injury, however.

“It was less things put in place to protect the player, so I guess I am fortunate that we have those things in place now. I always realised we put our health on the line every week. It’s up to players to take it seriously. I’ve always felt that way.”

The issue of repetitive head trauma is likely to stay in the public arena for some time yet, as Deadline reports that Sony is currently developing a dramatic movie about the issue of concussion in the NFL, with Will Smith in the lead role. Based on true events, Smith will play a neuropathologist researching the cumulative effects of head injuries in professional football.

The film has Peter Landesman in the director’s chair, working from his own script, which is based on the GQ article “Game Brain” by Jeane Marie Laskas. That article discusses the identification of concussion syndrome, known as CTE, which was highlighted as a contributory factor in the deaths of players Junior Seau and Dave Duerson. The film is to be produced by Ridley Scott, with Albert Brooks and Alec Baldwin also reportedly attached.

While the 49ers will face the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, Anthony Davis is expected to remain absent. His team’s offensive coordinator, Greg Roman, noted that Davis “took a step forward yesterday”, however, so hopes remain high that his full recovery will be swift.