Moon Advises Tebow to Play 'Smarter, Safer' With Concussion

Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon was diagnosed with six concussions during his 23-year professional career in the CFL and NFL. In fact, there are still 35 minutes of a Pittsburgh Steelers game a decade ago that he can't recall after he suffered a concussion.

Moon, a national spokesman for the Sports Concussion Institute in Los Angeles, is thankful that Florida quarterback Tim Tebow's recovery from his concussion is being closely monitored. Tebow, injured Sept. 26 against Kentucky, returned to practice on a limited basis but still has not been cleared to play in Saturday's game at No. 4 LSU.

"They have so many different ways now how to measure when to put a player back on the field," Moon told FanHouse.

"I guess -- it has been, what, nine or 10 days? -- and they still haven't cleared him to play, so it must have been a pretty severe [concussion]. The thing is you feel like you are fine and ready to play again. We've learned more about the harmful effects of concussions in the last five years than we did in the previous 50.

"The key is how to be smarter and safer."

Moon, who detailed his experiences from concussions during his professional career in his autobiography, Never Give Up On Your Dream, says awareness is an important issue regarding concussions. Bottom line, a concussion changes how the brain normally functions.

While strides have been made in the treatment of concussions, Moon says more breakthroughs need to be made to provide a more accurate diagnosis for recovery time. According to reports, Tebow has had multiple imaging scans since his concussion and has gone through a numerous battery of concussion tests.

In June, Tebow and all of UF's players underwent baseline testing. The data from that test will help doctors determine when Tebow has sufficiently recovered from his concussion and can resume physical activities.

"You have your arm movement, you have your leg movement -- you have all of your physical attributes -- so you feel like you are fine," Moon said. "One of the first things you will be looking for when he does return is how does he feel while he's running. Does the pounding from running make his head hurt?"

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, there are upwards of 3.8 million sports- and recreation-related concussions in the United States each year. An athlete who sustains a concussion is four to six times more likely to sustain a second concussion.

Florida trainers have determined that the concussion Tebow sustained against the Wildcats was the first of his career. The severity of Tebow's concussion is not publicly known. The systems followed most widely divide concussions into three grades -- I, II and, the most severe, III, which includes loss of consciousness.

Chris Weinke, a former Heisman Trophy winner at Florida State, suffered a fractured neck during his sophomore season in 1998 with the Seminoles when he jammed his neck when sacked. He also said he suffered concussions during his professional career with the Carolina Panthers and San Fransisco 49ers.

"When I saw Tim get hit, it sent chills through my body," Weinke told FanHouse.

"It was almost like a flashback (to his neck injury). When I was with the Panthers, I was knocked out in the second quarter against the Falcons with a concussion. The last thing I remember from that day was waking up and having breakfast. Even two to three weeks after that game, just a little bump on the head would give me a slight headache.

"I am glad to see they are being cautious with him."

In baseline testing, before suffering a concussion, an athlete takes a 20-minute computerized test that measures brain processing, speed, memory and visual motor skills to establish baseline data. After a concussion, the athlete is retested and the results are compared to help determine his or her status.

Moon recalled how he returned too quickly after suffering a concussion against the Steelers in 1998.

"I returned to practice that Wednesday and I felt pretty good," Moon said.

"That next game that Sunday (at Kansas City), my reactions just weren't the same as they normally were and that's how a concussion really affected me, as my brain being able to respond to what was going on out there on the field. I had a hard time deciphering things, whether it was people blitzing, where to go with the football, making quick decisions. I ended up taking myself out of the game because I was worried about getting hurt."



Tebow has practiced on a limited basis in pads . Wearing a red non-contact jersey, he was taking snaps with the first-team offense and throwing passes by Tuesday. While it remains unclear if Tebow will be cleared to play this week, UF coach Urban Meyer told the media that Tebow "will not get hit" if he did practice this week.

Moon believes Tebow's aggressive style of play also may play a role in his return.

"It's not like he's a quarterback who will probably take another big head shot in the pocket," Moon said. "He runs the football a lot and he puts his head in there, especially around the goal line, so that's something you want to be concerned about -- taking another shot to the head that way."

Moon's initial reaction when he saw the replay of the hit on Tebow?

"Who missed that block?" Moon said.

"I saw the guy come free. Either Tim is supposed to know he's coming -- that's his front side, he's a left-hander ... You would think he would see that guy coming unblocked from that side, but I guess he was looking to the right side. But then you immediately wonder is he OK after that hit? He took a blindside hit right on the button.

"I think in the NFL that might have been a personal foul."