Union doctor: Eagles trainers did not see Bradley stumble
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagletarian
Union doctor: Eagles trainers did not see Bradley stumble
Paul Domowitch, Daily News NFL Columnist
Millions of people who watched Sunday’s Eagles-Packers game on television saw linebacker Stewart Bradley stumble and fall to the ground after he tried to get up following his concussion-causing collision with teammate Ernie Sims in the second quarter. But apparently, no one from the team’s medical or training staffs that treated Bradley on the sideline immediately afterward saw either the hit or his struggle to get to his feet.
"Apparently, the Eagles’ trainers and team physicians didn’t see Stewart’s hit, and I’m not sure it was communicated clearly to them that he had struggled to get up and had fallen back down.; that probably should’ve been communicated to them,’’ said Thom Mayer, who is the medical director for the NFL Players Association.
Mayer said the Eagles properly followed the return-to-play concussion guidelines developed by the league, the union, and outside medical experts. But he said that if they had seen the whole episode with Bradley after he got hurt, it might’ve influenced their decision to let him go back into the game.
``It certainly raised my suspicion that he wouldn’t be going back in the game,’’ said Mayer, who was watching the game on TV. ``But from what we’ve heard from the trainers and the team physicians is that the (sideline) exam was normal.’’
Mayer said that the reason the trainers and doctors didn’t see Bradley’s injury or the aftermath of it was because they were tending to quarterback Kevin Kolb, who suffered his own concussion six plays before Bradley when he was sacked by Packers linebacker Clay Matthews.
At his Monday news conference, head coach Andy Reid admitted that he didn’t see Bradley stumble and fall to the ground until later when he saw a replay of it.
``I didn’t see the whole event live there,’’ he said.
Reid said Burkholder evaluated both Kolb and Bradley before they returned to the game. He also declined to make Burkholder available to the media.
Reid said the reason Bradley was later removed from the game was because ``he was showing signs of symptoms (of a concussion) when he came back off, the second time (trainer) Rick (Burkholder) evaluated him.’’
Reid wouldn’t say what those symptoms were, but Mayer said the linebacker had amnesia.
``It turns out that he later had amnesia for the event,’’ he said. ``So that’s part of the reason he was pulled from the game.’’
Amnesia is one of the symptoms listed by the league for not allowing a player back in a game.
Bradley initially sat out just 3 plays before briefly returning to the game. When he was checked again by Burkholder the next time he came back to the sideline, the amnesia was discovered.
``There’s two pieces here,’’ Mayer said. ``One, were the guidelines followed? In general, they were. But the fact that they didn’t know or have a description of what happened (with Bradley) probably needs to be looked at more carefully.
``Two, do the guidelines need to be changed to include things like this so that if you don’t happen to see it? We need to make sure the people treating the player have a clear description of what happened when they’re evaluating the player. So that may need to be strengthened over time.’’
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For a recap of a busy day with the Eagles, see our previous posts by clicking here.
Funny, everybody else (non-Eagles mgt)watching the game saw it!!!— Marchmadness- I'm surprised no one has mentioned the fact that Kolb and the Detroit QB injuries border on the line of flagrant hits. I thought that it was illegal when making a tackle to drive the ball carrier into the turf. We should have an opinion from the NFL on these two tackles— tamgin43
- And as Reid always says "I take full responsibility...."— nuffera
- "I see nothing!" Andy Reid. How come this guy still has a job?— nuffera
Comment removed.- Bradley staggering up and then falling down looked like one of those cows in the secret videos of animal abuse in the stockyards. Reid says we went through the protocols. Sure. No doubt the Eagles want to maximize the productivity (but certainly not the lifetime health) of their players at least until they (Lurie et al.) see their inevitable decline, and then off-load them. But this obscene protocol stuff is simply a legal CYA stunt to help protect against well-justified lawsuits from grievously injured players later on.— hwatt
- If Cliff Lee was still here, I bet Reid would have noticed Bradley stumble......— PhillySGTinIraq
- I can understand how that happens. With the digital converter box, I sometimes have trouble getting Fox to stay in tune also. Perfectly acceptable excuse.— AreaMan
- that is the lamest excuse I have ever heard. What kind of coaching staff do they have!? Dopes— chollie
- As bad as Andy Reid and his staff bungled the concussions of Kolb and Bradley, they are not as bad as Grapost, the racist. disgusting.— ww2buff
Reid has to go. He is horrible by every meansure. Now he allows his all star players to potentially ruin themselves for life? Can him, Lurie.— Poppys- i'm fairly certain grapost was being facetious guys. yes, a poor attempt at humor, but an attempt nevertheless.
- Grapost, Andre Waters and Brian Westbrook are two I'll give you without even thinking for more than 5 seconds. Idiot.— MVKrum
- I'm suprised with all the assist. coaches and admin. staff on the sidelines, someone didn't see Bradley falling down, and mention this to a medical person. Additionally, why didn't the players/teammates bring this up to a coach. There seems to be a lot of blame to pass along here, glad Bradley wasn't hurt worse.— unclejed
- Black guys gets concussions too.A hard hit is a hard hit. Just ask Westbrook.Now as for Reid the NFL should give him a big suspension. He is a liar. He knew what was going on if he didn't then he not only a terrible coach. But whatever— I M Jim
- What a crock......lets fire all the staff.. and take the coach along with them...only thing he knows is how to make things good for Vick......and correct things Vick says to the press.— spider1776
- Grapost: Your stupidity is rivaled only by your poor memory. Last I remember, Brian Westbrook is black.— joeibt
- what was it that happened to brian westbrook last year?— elgordo
- grapost you're a racist idiot
- I think this incident goes to show that Obama is mismanaging the country. Of course, I say that about everything bad that happens.— ronzoni2
- Imagine Reid as Sargeant Schultz: "We saw nothing until after the play where he stumbled to the ground, er...oops, I mean the play in question! Please move along, nothing to see here. None of the coaches or trainers saw it or the replay. I see nothing, nothing I tell you!"— p-diddy
- Comment removed.
- it's only the White guys in football that get concussions. Never heard of a Black guy getting one.— Grapost
- Who cares. This is not news. This is sports. There are more important things in life than some meat head over paid football player.— RightWingHypocrite
- Andy missed it, the trainers missed it...like time-outs and clock management It never ends It never ends people!— Zero Ringgs
- Watching the game on TV you could here a loud, audible groan from the crowd as the replay was being shown. Assume that no one on the coaching staff was looking at the field during the game (wow), is it possible that either the replay wasn't shown at the stadium afterall or did they all miss that too? Shame on the coaching staff and medical team for "missing" what everyone else saw twice.— What Dat
- thats completely unacceptable how they are trying to smooth over such poor handling of this. if bradley had sustained abother substantial head trauma, he could have been killed. team doctors create a huge conflict of interest. amazing that this sport continues to not address this issue the right way. what kind of process did they put bradley through that they could not determine he couldn't remember the play before putting him back on the field?— djack10
