Panthers: Five Things | 
Prisco
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- As he stood at his locker last Friday, following his first live contact in nearly a year after suffering a fifth career concussion last season, Carolina Panthers linebacker Dan Morgan was swarmed by a media mob that wanted to not only know how it went, but mostly wanted to ask why.
Why would a player with five concussions decide to play on? The questions came at Morgan a variety of ways, but they all had pretty much the same theme.
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| Morgan has been injury-prone, and missed 15 games last season. (Getty Images) |
"I love to play the game," Morgan said.
But is love of the game worth the risks of impacting the quality of life after football? That's a question all players have to face, but for Morgan it's even more of an issue. Five concussions is a dangerous situation, and it's especially a concern since he had concussions four and five close together early last season, forcing him out in the opener and leaving open questions about his playing future.
Let's face it. One more concussion and his career would probably be over.
"Nobody knows how I feel," Morgan said. "Unless you are in my shoes and know how I feel then that's something that somebody can't talk about. As far as me coming back, and people having doubts, everybody is entitled to their own opinion."
The NFL has placed a great focus on concussions in recent years. A lot of that has to do with studies that report concussions can impact the quality of a player's life later on. This year, players are urged to come forward as whistle-blowers if those with concussions are forced out on the practice field.
| Community Focus | |
 One man vs. One fan | |
jmcmullen: "I think the Panthers can win this division with a 9-7 record. Sorry, Saints fans, I'm just not sold on your one year of success." |
That emphasis has made players, teams and coaches more aware of the dangers of concussions. That's why the Panthers held Morgan out of the first two preseason games and limited his contact until last week.
"I really think the biggest thing is a lot like any injuries, it takes time," Panthers coach John Fox said. "Him sitting out all of last season and the good Lord willing will help him stay healthy. It takes time, it heals, and that's what the doctors have told me. There's always that chance, just like the chance with any other injury."
Yeah, but a torn groin or ACL won't lead to possible dementia later in life, which concussion troubles could.
Head injuries are serious stuff, which is why Morgan is kind of like a fine piece of china that has been broken once and fixed perfectly. It looks good, but you always know that it just isn't as solid as it may look.
Thus, he gets the questions.
Why? Why? Why?
"I made the decision not for anybody else but for me, my family and my teammates," Morgan said.
When he's on the field, Morgan is a force. He plays middle linebacker with a frenzied style that includes sticking his head into anything that moves. Without him in the lineup last year, the Panthers finished 11th in run defense, despite having two big-bodied defensive tackles.
"The guy is a presence on the field," defensive end Mike Rucker said.
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Morgan was credited with three tackles in the Panthers 24-7 loss to the New England Patriots last Friday. But the best thing wasn't the numbers. It was that he didn't show any hesitancy to stick his nose in a pile. Sometimes, injured players can be tentative. But Morgan didn't have any of that, he said.
"I didn't hesitate at all," Morgan said. "If I felt that way, I wouldn't be out there. I wasn't thinking about a concussion at all."
At 28, Morgan should be in the prime of his career, with several good years in front of him. But as it is he's one more head shot away from retirement.
That's tough to take, but it's especially tough for a contact-seeking middle linebacker. You can't go half-speed.
That's why Morgan did all the research he could to find out if he could play again. After missing 15 games last season, he was cleared by a specialist in December to return to the field. He said he spoke with several doctors seeking out advice in an effort to make the right decision. All the doctors came back with the same answer: It is OK to play -- if you want.
"I took the necessary steps," Morgan said. "I just didn't go to one doctor and say I'm cleared. I took the necessary steps. I'm smarter than that. I do care more about my future with my family than anything. They're No. 1 in my life. If I felt it was a threat for me to come back and I was putting my health in danger with me and my family, I wouldn't have played."
| Fantasy Focus |
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| RB DeAngelo Williams |
 Jamey Eisenberg's take: Williams enters the season expecting to share carries with DeShaun Foster again. Williams has more upside, so Fantasy owners would like to see him have the job to himself. Last year as a rookie, Williams had 121 carries for 501 yards and a touchdown and also caught 33 passes for 313 yards and a score. He should do better this season and be considered a No. 3 Fantasy running back. Foster also falls into the No. 3 category because of their tandem status. Foster had 227 carries for 897 yards and three touchdowns last year with 32 catches for 159 yards. |
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Morgan has been injury-plagued his entire career. He's missed 40 games since being a first-round draft pick in 2001 out of the University of Miami. That's fragility there, and in 2004 he missed time with concussion troubles.
Severe headaches, memory loss and vision troubles are all symptoms of a concussion sufferer. Some players say the headaches are torturous.
"I haven't had any memory loss that lasted," Morgan said. "You always have the headache afterward."
He'll always have doubters, too. Most of them, though, have no idea what it's like to have the game you love taken away in your prime. Morgan loves football. But he said he loves his family more.
If he couldn't play on, he wouldn't. But that doesn't mean he didn't do everything he could to find a way to make it happen.
Nobody wants to be told when to leave the game. They want to leave on their own terms.
But one more concussion for Dan Morgan could do it. Even he's resigned to that. When I asked him if one more would be it, he said, "I don't know. That's something I'll weigh if it happens. Hopefully, it doesn't. If it happens, I'll deal with it when it comes."
If it does happen, the same word he heard last Friday will fly around him again.
Why? Why? Why?
Is it worth it?
