Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark will play on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, despite suffering two concussions in the last three weeks. Studies have shown that players who suffer multiple blows to the head are more susceptible to concussions, but Clark has passed all of the required tests. He practiced on Thursday and Friday without any problems.
"People make this more dramatic than it is, and there is no drama involved in the decisions I've made," Clark said Friday. "I've only had two (concussions) and I've been playing football since I was five."
He went on to say, "When I decide I can't play the way I've always played, I'll stop playing football, period."
Although Clark refuses to change his hard-hitting style of play, he has made several modifications to his equipment. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, he switched to a "bigger, more heavily padded helmet that is rated as the best in absorbing hard hits." In addition, he has lined his helmet with Kevlar to absorb some of the impact of a big hit.
Clark's most recent concussion came on Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs on a hit to the side of his head.