Brett Favre believes he suffered “thousands” of concussions over the course of his 20-year football career.
During an appearance on the “Bubba the Love Sponge” show this week, the legendary Packers quarterback was asked if he thought he suffered “hundreds” of concussions while playing in the NFL.
“No — way more than that,” Favre answered. “If you asked me this 10 years ago, I’d have said three. I thought concussions were when you get knocked out or blackout. For a period of time, you don’t know where you are. Memory loss. Dizzy. A boxer gets down, he can’t get up, his legs are rubber. That’s a concussion.”
Favre, now 52, has since discovered that the head injuries are much more common.
Brett Favre said he’s suffered ‘thousands’ of concussions.Getty Images
“What I now know is concussions happen all the time,” he said. “You get tackled. Your head hits the turf. You see flashes of light or ringing in your ears, but you’re able to pay. That’s a concussion. based on that — thousands, had to be. Every time my head hit the turf there was ringing, or stars going — flash bulbs.
“But I was still able to play. That’s what’s kind of frightening about the concussion thing. It’s the ones that seem minor that do the damage because you’re able to play and keep going. Still today, there’s probably guys that have them and say, ‘I’m not going out.'”
One moment stands out in 2004, when Favre got concussed in a game against the Giants. He went to the sideline for two plays, before checking himself back into the game. Immediately, he threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Javon Walker to give Green Bay a 7-0 lead.
Brett Favre played a record 297 consecutive games in his NFL ironman streak.Getty Images 
Brett Favre during a 2004 Packers game against the Colts.Getty ImagesFavre, a three-time MVP and one-time Super Bowl champion, started a record 297 consecutive regular-season games — 321 counting playoffs. The next-highest quarterback on the list was Philip Rivers with 240 in the regular season, and 252 counting the playoffs.
