Does this sound like a guy thinking about hanging it up and retiring to you:
Headaches leave Aikman in doubt
11/05/99
By David Moore / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING - The headaches aren't as intense as they were in the hours after Troy Aikman took a blow to the head. They don't linger as long.
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But four days after he and Indianapolis safety Jeff Burris knocked helmets, the headaches persist. Because they do, Aikman stops short of guaranteeing he'll be able to play Monday night against Minnesota.
"I don't know," Aikman said. "If I'm still experiencing headaches a week after, then that would be a concern and that would be discussed. I'd hate to say right now that I would not play. But I'd hate to say I definitely would play.
"The only comment I guess I can make is I plan on playing in the ballgame and I will go out and practice this week, anticipating that the headaches will stop."
Aikman has suffered five concussions in his career with the Cowboys. None have prevented him from playing the following week.
The Cowboys, stung by criticism over Deion Sanders' return from a concussion against Washington one week earlier, refuse to say that Aikman even suffered a concussion. Owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday's MRI showed that the quarterback didn't have a concussion. Trainer Jim Maurer termed what happened, as "a hit to the head" and said the MRI didn't reveal any damage.
Maurer said it's not unusual for Aikman to still experience headaches. He said the fact the length and severity of the headaches has decreased is a good sign.
John F. Rhodes / DMN
Troy Aikman is thrown to the ground by Colts DB Jeff Burris. Aikman was injured on the play, but later returned to the game.
"I have not heard anything of a serious nature," Cowboys coach Chan Gailey said. "He hasn't brought it up to me yet. If he does, we'll address it."
Aikman questioned the reliability of an MRI for this injury, saying he's not sure what it could show other than an area of dead brain cells. For that to appear, he said the hit would have had to come years earlier.
Maurer stressed nothing like that was found and said the club, "feels good about the test."
This is the third time headaches have plagued Aikman this long after a blow to the head. The first came when he suffered a concussion his rookie year against Arizona.
The second came when he was knocked unconscious during the NFC Championship Game against San Francisco in 1994. Aikman played in the Super Bowl the next week, but he said he still experienced headaches two weeks after the hit.
Aikman said he has no reason to believe this injury will compare to those two. But he doesn't want to minimize the serious nature of these incidents and said he will monitor himself during practice.
"If it becomes a problem, then I will limit myself," Aikman said.
It wasn't a problem Thursday. Aikman took a couple of aspirin and participated in all of the drills. There was no effort to give backup Jason Garrett any extra snaps.
Leigh Steinberg, Aikman's agent, has put together seminars to help educate his clients on concussions and some of the warning signs. Steinberg has delved into this issue even more recently due to the health of his son and the decision facing another client, San Francisco's Steve Young.
"My understanding of what he's going through right now is that he's had repeated symptoms from the concussion," Aikman said of Young. "Dizzy spells. He's vomited over the last couple of weeks and continues to have headaches. He's had a number of post-concussion symptoms I have not had except the headaches."
The cumulative effect of these injuries is what has Aikman and others concerned. He said Steinberg has talked with specialists from Stanford and Harvard who believe they may have devised a more accurate way to detect and track the effects of repeated concussions.
"I'm probably not as knowledgeable as I would like to be," Aikman said. "I don't know if that many people are. I think there are just so many questions out there as to what the long-term effects are, what can happen from repeated blows to the head.
"Leigh has researched it quite a bit. There are people he thinks can be very helpful once the season ends. He will give me a chance to visit with them, evaluate it and see exactly where I am."
For now, all Aikman can do is prepare as if he'll be able to play against the Vikings.
And take aspirin.
"I'm still having some headaches," Aikman said. "That's a concern.
"I'm going to see how it goes the rest of the week."
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