Via Players View:
Josh Cribbs was belted last Thursday by one of the biggest hits of the 2012-2013 season. The special teams weapon was leveled as he went up field on a punt return against the Baltimore Ravens.
The result was such a scary sight that Cribbs’ family does not want him to lace up his cleats ever again.
“Everyone was calling and couldn’t stop crying,” Cribbs who has two kids, told the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “My brother, who’s the reason why I’m playing football, even he wants me to stop.”
“They’re saying, ‘I know you love the game but we don’t want you to play anymore,’” he said. “They’re like, ‘Family’s more important. You’ve got so many years of your life. You’ve showed enough good football.’”
As he prepares to play against the New York Giants on Sunday, his wife Maria wants him to take additional steps to ensure he is sincerely OK.
“She wants me to be seen by another specialist,” he said. “She wants me to get a CAT scan, especially with what happened to [former Browns running back Jerome Harrison, who had a brain tumor removed]. I still go over to his house every now and then and talk to him. He’s doing pretty bad. He’s in and out of the hospital with seizures. They just don’t want the same thing to happen to me.”
Cribbs compared this situation to that of the epic hit that he suffered at the hands of a certain member of the Pittsburgh Steelers who gets fined a lot.
“I didn’t feel it,” he said. “The James Harrison hit [in 2010]? He hit me hard and I felt that one. This one, I was out cold. But I’m blessed with a kill switch. The doctor said my brain focused on the immediate trauma and shut down everything else. Some guys have brain swelling and don’t recover as fast. I’ve got someone looking out for me.”
As Cribbs came to he was greeted by the familiar yet legendary face of the NFL Network’s Michael Irvin, who was a part of the game’s broadcast team.
“I really thought I was delirious then,” said Cribbs. “I was like, ‘What? Michael Irvin? What are you doing on the field?’”
For the remainder of the game, Cribbs lobbied hard for his return.
“They had to take my helmet and had to keep tabs on me in the locker room so I wouldn’t run back out there,” he said.
So will he be gun-shy when he steps back onto the field?
“I feel great,” said Cribbs, who was limited in practice. “I’ve had no symptoms and I’m ready to play [Sunday] against the Giants. I’m not scared of taking another hit.”
Cribbs has quite frankly been rocked on more than a few occasions. It will be interesting to see what happens after this his contract year is over with.
His wife may get her wish after all.
Also from Players View:
Mike Tice blames himself for flare-up with Jay Cutler
Ron Artest credits Steve Nash’s intelligence to him being white
Carlos Rogers: The Jets defense didn’t want to play the game
Original Story:
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October 04, 2012
Still, my Sundays would REALLY suck if there was no football.