Tyler Varga (Remember Him?)

[TKnight24]

 

[PrincetonTiger]

One of my favorites 

[Andrew Luck fan club]

Not good for Clayton. 

[superrep1967]

6 minutes ago, Majin Vegeta said:

Not good for Clayton. 

Yeah, And Geathers has such a promising career. 

[csmopar]

after reading that.... it sounds like we have some very c.r.a.p.p.y doctors!

[indyagent17]

Very troubling news that concussions are so prevalent in contact sports, If I could create a force field for each player I would be a billionaire but of course you would have to freeze me for 300 years so I could steal the technology from the Enterprise 

[csmopar]

2 minutes ago, indyagent17 said:

Very troubling news that concussions are so prevalent in contact sports, If I could create a force field for each player I would be a billionaire but of course you would have to freeze me for 300 years so I could steal the technology from the Enterprise 

honestly, they need something similar to a HANS device, to keep the head from whipping around during impacts.  Wouldnt fully help, but it'd have to reduce them.

[21isSuperman]

That's an old story.  We discussed it on the forums last year.

 

http://forums.colts.com/topic/45905-tyler-vargas-concussion-story/

[21isSuperman]

Overall, it sounded like the Colts had some pretty bad team doctors.  Their management of Varga seemed far less than ideal.

[csmopar]

1 minute ago, 21isSuperman said:

Overall, it sounded like the Colts had some pretty bad team doctors.  Their management of Varga seemed far less than ideal.

Did we get some new ones?

[KelownaColtsFan]

I remember Geathers having a neck injury. This is the first time I heard he had concussion 

[Boiler_Colt]

29 minutes ago, KelownaColtsFan said:

I remember Geathers having a neck injury. This is the first time I heard he had concussion 

Yeah, I think but am not 100% he got a concussion on the 4th and 1 stop on Demarco Murray and then missed a week because of it. Then returned to practice and hurt his neck in practice if im not mistaken.

[KelownaColtsFan]

8 minutes ago, Boiler_Colt said:

Yeah, I think but am not 100% he got a concussion on the 4th and 1 stop on Demarco Murray and then missed a week because of it. Then returned to practice and hurt his neck in practice if im not mistaken.

Oh ok I must have missed that. If it's the same play I'm remembering where he stopped a RB on a short yardage play, it was a hell of an impact.

[indyagent17]

Seriously though, there has to be someone that will create a helmet that truly absorbs contacts much like the honeycomb formation behind most car bumper but one that is much more effective in reducing the force that causes the brain to slam against the skull. It could also be that this will never be solved as the game moves so much faster than in prior years. its a dangerous game. I played hockey for many years and I have the scars to prove it and I am sure I had a concussion or two but 20-30 years ago you just kept playing through it. 

[Boiler_Colt]

3 minutes ago, indyagent17 said:

Seriously though, there has to be someone that will create a helmet that truly absorbs contacts much like the honeycomb formation behind most car bumper but one that is much more effective in reducing the force that causes the brain to slam against the skull. It could also be that this will never be solved as the game moves so much faster than in prior years. its a dangerous game. I played hockey for many years and I have the scars to prove it and I am sure I had a concussion or two but 20-30 years ago you just kept playing through it. 

I still think, proper tackling technique could help. But it wont solve everything. Rugby has statistically lower concussion rates despite the fact that they don't wear helmets or pads. In fact, that teaches you to not lead with your head. Plus it's a rule that a tackle in rugby is only considered a legal tackle if you wrap up with both arms.

[twfish]

I still think there would be a pretty good chance Tyler Varga leads a lawsuit against the colts doctors. He's a bright kid and they wanted him to take medicine that could lead to long term affects. If he didn't have friends in that field it could have ended up bad for him

[ColtsLegacy]

42 minutes ago, indyagent17 said:

Seriously though, there has to be someone that will create a helmet that truly absorbs contacts much like the honeycomb formation behind most car bumper but one that is much more effective in reducing the force that causes the brain to slam against the skull. It could also be that this will never be solved as the game moves so much faster than in prior years. its a dangerous game. I played hockey for many years and I have the scars to prove it and I am sure I had a concussion or two but 20-30 years ago you just kept playing through it. 

 

No matter how good the helmet is there's nothing anyone can do to stop the brain from moving in the skull. Concussions will always be an issue until tackling and contact is banned.

[jameszeigler834]

49 minutes ago, Boiler_Colt said:

Yeah, I think but am not 100% he got a concussion on the 4th and 1 stop on Demarco Murray and then missed a week because of it. Then returned to practice and hurt his neck in practice if im not mistaken.

It was a neck injury I hope he is ok from that.

[bababooey]

2 hours ago, csmopar said:

after reading that.... it sounds like we have some very c.r.a.p.p.y doctors!

Our doctor prescribed something to Varga that he didn't take, and according to everyone else the doctor was dumb for prescribing it, so yes.

[jgstriker]

Just so you know, there isn't a thing any physician can do to improve a concussion.  Once the injury occurs it is entirely up to your body as to how well and how fast it can improve. This isn't like a strained ligament or fracture.  It is unpredictable irritation of the brain.

[pgt_rob]

Varga is a nice guy. Talked to him for a bit outside of training camp. He just seemed like another normal guy who just so happens to wear an Indianapolis Colts jersey. This topic was brought up last year and was discussed but it just sucks to see a player get an injury that dramatically affects the brain. Best of wishes to him wherever he is currently.

[csmopar]

1 hour ago, bababooey said:

Our doctor prescribed something to Varga that he didn't take, and according to everyone else the doctor was dumb for prescribing it, so yes.

what I'm wondering is if that doctor or doctors are part of the Colt's injury bug problem.  

[B~Town]

21 hours ago, 21isSuperman said:

Overall, it sounded like the Colts had some pretty bad team doctors.  Their management of Varga seemed far less than ideal.

Same staff that was around during the Collie fiasco by any chance ? Some of the stories Collie told were enough to raise a eyebrow at . Why he is so involved in concussion research now .

[UKColt13]

I miss that guy. 

 

Hopefully Clayton's injury doesn't follow the same path.

[pgt_rob]

1 minute ago, UKColt13 said:

I miss that guy. 

 

Hopefully Clayton's injury doesn't follow the same path.

 

Do we have a link about the latest on Clayton's health?

[Smoke317]

Varga had a lot of potential to be our 3rd down back. He had some nice moves. I feel sorry for the guy. He was definitely on his way to having a nice NFL career. If we would have let him go, the Patriots would have been all over him just from what he showed in preseason.  His

[Clem-Dog]

Some players can simply absorb hits while others cannot endure the trauma.  Frank Gore suffered his first and only concussion at age 30.  He played the following week without incident.  Gore often leads with his helmet so it seems quite amazing but in reality he is built for it, many are not.

[ColtsFanMikeC]

7 hours ago, csmopar said:

honestly, they need something similar to a HANS device, to keep the head from whipping around during impacts.  Wouldnt fully help, but it'd have to reduce them.

 

I personally believe they should band bandanas, do-rags, head bands, etc... I think every player should look like Peyton after the game with the pads imprinted on his forehead until well after the game.  I think the little bit of extra for the helmet to slide or hit the head plays a big role.

 

7 hours ago, 21isSuperman said:

Overall, it sounded like the Colts had some pretty bad team doctors.  Their management of Varga seemed far less than ideal.

 

I know bababooey pointed out that team doctors apparently prescribed Varga with some medicine other doctors didn't agree with.  I'm not totally sure the details.  However, concussions are bound to happen and Varga's was a brutal one.  I'm not sure his career would've lasted much longer no matter what doctors we had.

 

5 hours ago, jgstriker said:

Just so you know, there isn't a thing any physician can do to improve a concussion.  Once the injury occurs it is entirely up to your body as to how well and how fast it can improve. This isn't like a strained ligament or fracture.  It is unpredictable irritation of the brain.

 

There are certain things a physician can do to improve a concussion, mostly applying proper resting and activity protocols, etc... but you're correct in regard to it not being able to be compared a fracture or strain.  As stated earlier, I think Varga's concussion was so bad that there probably wasn't much any doctor could do to get his career back on track.

[21isSuperman]

18 minutes ago, ColtsFanMikeC said:

 

I know bababooey pointed out that team doctors apparently prescribed Varga with some medicine other doctors didn't agree with.  I'm not totally sure the details.  However, concussions are bound to happen and Varga's was a brutal one.  I'm not sure his career would've lasted much longer no matter what doctors we had.

The point isn't that another physician could have extended his career, but that the Colts doctors could be prescribing medication and treatments that may not be accepted in the medical world.

[A8bil]

On 5/9/2017 at 10:18 AM, jgstriker said:

Just so you know, there isn't a thing any physician can do to improve a concussion.  Once the injury occurs it is entirely up to your body as to how well and how fast it can improve. This isn't like a strained ligament or fracture.  It is unpredictable irritation of the brain.

Not entirely true.  The problem is that it is a poorly researched and supported area in the medical community.  There is a foundation --- One Hit Away Foundation -- that is supporting research in this area and they are finding that positive treatment (i.e, hyperbaric chamber, etc.) rather than just rest is having a positive effect on rehabilitating the brain.  The problem is that it is not widely known and not sufficiently studied to gain broad acceptance.  I attended one of their fundraising events and was impressed by the presentations of some of the participating doctors.

[cbear]

Concussions would be greatly eliminated imo if they passed one rule.  You have to wrap up a player with both arms.  That's the only way you will be allowed to tackle.  No hitting a player anymore. You have to actually tackle him. 

[ColtsBlueFL]

At times, players can be their own worst enemy. Varga admits he did not disclose his injury to the medical team during that game, or he would (should) have been taken back to the locker room and administered the ImPACT test:

https://www.impacttest.com/products/?ImPACT-Test-Demo-37

** One hit — one jarring hit that popped his helmet loose and had him wobbling to the wrong sideline. That’s all it took for a 22-year-old who  had never suffered a diagnosed concussion in his life to watch his rookie season in the NFL go up in smoke, and maybe his career. It took him two full days to tell the Colts’ team doctors what he already knew but refused to admit.

You know why. We all know why.**

Concussion advice-
"Resting immediately after concussion gives you the best chance of making a speedy recovery. Resting means not exerting yourself physically or cognitively, and ensuring you are safe from subsequent head impacts that could cause a second injury. Immediacy is critical - playing out the rest of a game, or even finishing the period, adds an average of five days to recovery time."

players thoughtrs/action-

** It was September. Week 3. Varga, a rookie running back and special teamer, exited the Colts’ 35-33 win over the Tennessee Titans after absorbing a vicious hit on kickoff coverage. “It was like, 'Whatever, shake it off,’” he remembers. “I’ve had hits like that before.”   **

 

** “I didn’t want to go through the concussion protocol and maybe lose my job,” Varga says now. “That’s the pressure. I can’t miss anything. There’s no wiggle room. I hardly get any reps in practice as it is, and I’m missing days, I’m getting even fewer. I don’t get to show the coaches I know my stuff. And if I don’t get to play in the game, I get replaced.” **

 

Valid player point, though not wise. It goes beyond that, IMHO. Recently, a small study suggested that damage incurred from a concussion can take much longer to heal than expected — up to a full four months in some cases. Though it's important to note that this particular study was quite small and is only preliminary in its findings.

 

'The research paper, from researchers at the University of Mexico, tracked 50 people who had mild concussions, but had not experienced any other type of concussion that year. They conducted brain scans of the concussed, as well as testing their memory, depression, thinking skills and anxiety two weeks after a concussion. After four months, the research brought 26 of the concussed back into testing, and they compared them to a control group

.

As expected, two weeks after the concussion, the concussed patients reported noticeable effects of their injury, from dizziness to headaches to problems with memory than the control groups. By four months out, the concussed patients reported significantly lower side effects, and seemed closer to the control group.'

'The brain scans, however, told a different story.

 

Using a strong MRI machine, the researchers identified the injured places in the brain by looking at the way water moved inside the brain. After an injury, water is allocated differently in the brain, to the point that it’s observable via this strong MRI.

 

The researchers found that this injury-indicating measurement, called fractional anisotropy (FA), was elevated both two weeks after the concussion and four months out, meaning that concussive symptoms last for much longer than they can be felt.'

If further studies show higher likelihood of further (and increased) damage to reoccur, even after symptoms have regressed, then there may ultimately be a push to IR players positively diagnosed at some point, especially in light of the CTE ramifications for players in the future. Psychological cognitive tests alone might not be enough to truly protect these players. Currently, there is no true objective way to determine when the symptoms of a concussion have subsided enough so that it’s safe to return to play, once the player has returned to baseline cognitive function and then cleared by both the team doctor and an Independent Neurological Consultant. Quite often it depends on the player’s subjective assessment; and he is pressured by himself and the team to return ASAP once 'cleared'.

 

There is still so much to learn in this area.