Brett Favre: After around 1,000 concussions: “The damage is done”

Brett Favre went on “The Ricky Cobb Show” earlier today to discuss his career, and all of the head trauma he experienced during it.

As you know, Favre spent the majority of his legendary career with the Green Bay Packers. In addition to winning three MVP Awards and a Super Bowl, Favre set one of the most insane records in NFL history: he started a mind-boggling 321 consecutive games in a row.

Why did he do it? The answer is simple: he just loved football.

“No one wanted to play as much as I did, I loved to play the game. I think whether you were a fan or not, you would agree. ‘That guy was having fun,’” Favre said. “I just went out there and played, and whatever happened, happened. That’s what drove me all those years, I wanted to play, and I wanted to play at a high level.”

However, being in the starting lineup for 321 consecutive games has an immense physical cost. In addition to injuries to his shoulder, ankle and throwing hand, Favre also suffered injuries that he believes around 1,000 concussionsIn fact, head injuries played such a big role in his career that he released a documentary called Concussed.

Despite the enormous physical strain he endured, he remains at peace with the events of his career, although he sometimes thinks about how much his health might suffer later in life.

“'The Iron Man' started to rust. I can't change what happened. There's no point in crying over spilled milk. It was a wonderful career,” Favre said. “Nobody knew back then that concussions were as bad as they are today… What's done is done. Do I often ask myself what the future holds? Of course I do, I'm a human being like everyone else.”

He then called on the NFL to find a way to treat concussions immediately.

“Helmets can only help (in protecting players) up to a point. We need a solution, we need a treatment or cure for concussions, an immediate cure on the sidelines. That's what we need to achieve,” Favre said.