Iowa’s Cade McNamara joins big club: Football players who recently have had concussions

Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara suffered a concussion in the Hawkeyes’ game against Northwestern last Saturday.

It happened in the second quarter. It was diagnosed at halftime. Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said Tuesday that McNamara tried to sit in on Monday meetings, but “just couldn’t do it.”

“He’s going to try to go back to class today,” Ferentz said.

That’s football.

Also on Saturday, Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant (seven touchdown catches this year) suffered a concussion when he was hit helmet-to-helmet by Oregon defensive back Tysheen Johnson.

Sunday, Bryant told Illinois Coach Bret Bielema “there’s not a chance” Bryant wouldn’t play in this Saturday’s game against Minnesota.

Bielema told the player “you don’t get to make that call” on Sunday, but on Monday said "Everything is trending the right way there. … It's a five-day process, but everything indicates he's going to be there."

Monday, Michigan quarterback Jack Tuttle retired from the sport. He threw 32 passes in a game just a week-and-a-half ago.

“Unfortunately,” Tuttle said, “the recent experience of enduring my fifth concussion has brought forth the painful truth: that I need to start prioritizing my health. Throughout my college career, I’ve battled numerous injuries, culminating in this difficult choice to step away from playing the game I love.”

Tuttle is 25, a seventh-year senior on his third college team. That love for football he mentioned is deep and true.

But five concussions? Damn.

Last Wednesday, North Carolina State quarterback Grayson McCall retired from football. He had two concussions this season after one last year.

McCall was carted off the field after taking a hit to the head on a running play during his team’s Oct. 5 game against Wake Forest. Two days later, NC State Coach Dave Doeren called it “the scariest moment I’ve ever had” in 30 years of coaching.

"I have battled injuries my whole career, but this is one that I cannot come back from," McCall wrote on Instagram. "Brain specialists, my family, and I have come to the conclusion that it is in my best interest to hang the cleats up."

Former Iowa player Tyrone Tracy, a rookie, had a terrific game for the New York Giants Monday night, rushing 20 times for 145 yards and a touchdown. He absorbed a particularly hard hit with about four minutes left in the game.

Tracy was in concussion protocol Tuesday.

New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye helped his team to a win over the New York Jets Sunday. He must be cleared by an independent neurological consultant before he can play again.

“He has to protect himself better,” Patriots Coach Jerod Mayo said Monday.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returned to action Sunday after missing four games because of a head injury. He passed for 234 yards. He is back, and Miami’s offense is better for it.

On Sept. 12, Tagovailoa suffered a concussion against the Buffalo Bills. It was his third diagnosed concussion in the last 24 months.

"I'll be honest, I'd tell him to retire,“ Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce said last month. ”It's not worth it. Playing the game, I haven't witnessed anything like what's happened to him three times.“

Sunday, Tagovailoa said he was “trying to avoid the big hits if I can. Sometimes they’re unavoidable if there’s a free rusher and you’ve got to get the ball out. You take a hit.

“For the past five weeks I’ve been able to really think and ponder about my decisions.”

He plays on.

A 2021 study released by the JAMA Network, a collection of medical journals providing insights into medical research and practice, reported 72 percent of concussions in college football happened during practice, and almost 50 percent were in preseason training.

Those, we seldom hear about.

A 2019 study Boston University study from a team of Boston University CTE researchers said the risk of developing CTE doubles for every 2.6 years of playing tackle football, our national pastime.

Here’s to McNamara healing quickly and fully, and never again experiencing what he has gone through the last few days. It will be someone else’s turn soon enough.

Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com