Joe Haden opens up about season-ending concussion: 'It's scary'
"I've never experienced anything like this in my life," the Browns cornerback said.
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1 min read
Joe Haden's season is over. The Browns placed the cornerback on injured reserve earlier this week, ending a 2015 campaign that saw him take the field for just five games.
Haden's season is over because of two concussions, the second of which he suffered on Nov. 1. A month and a half later, Haden joined the Browns' official podcast to talk about his season. Haden used the interview to open up about his experience, detailing the frustrations and fears that come with a concussion, calling this year "one of the toughest years" for not only him, but his friends and family as well.
"I've never experienced anything like this in my life," Haden said. "You know, I'm an active guy, like I felt like I was kind of good, but when I hit I knew I wasn't. So it's scary. It scared me, it scared my wife, it scared my parents."
Haden explained that the invisible nature of a concussion's symptoms made it an even harder injury to overcome, because he never wanted "to be questioned about my heart and about wanting to play."
"Usually when you have injuries, people can see your injuries ... you got your arm wrapped up, you got your leg wrapped up, you're on crutches ... " Haden said. "With concussions you can't tell from the outside. That was just the most difficult thing."
You can listen to the entire podcast below. Haden begins speaking about concussions at the 27-minute mark.
In a season that's featured its fair share of concussion issues -- look no further than the Rams' handling of Case Keenum's concussion -- it's refreshing to hear a player speak so openly about the process of recovering from a brain injury. Haden is clearly both genuine and emotional as he opens up about the experience.
