Als’ Emry conscious of concussion ramifications
MONTREAL – Following his second concussion in three seasons, Alouettes’ middle-linebacker Shea Emry is realistic enough to understand he can’t withstand too many more severe head injuries.
“To me, there’s a maximum you can endure, and I hope I don’t have more,� he said. “You hear of guys having five, six or seven (concussions). I don’t want to get to that point.
“You think about it, how extensive it could be,� added Emry, only 25 and in his fourth season with Montreal. “If you’ve got to step away from the game, you might have to. But now (at this point) it’s not that serious.�
Emry was concussed in late August, at Calgary. Although it was deemed a mild concussion at the time, the Richmond, B.C., native nonetheless missed the last two games. But he’ll return on Sunday (1 p.m., TSN, RDS, CJAD Radio-800), when the Als entertain the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in a first-place showdown. The Bombers, 7-3, have lost their last two and lead the 6-4 Als by two points in the East Division.
Emry missed two games with a concussion in 2009, another trauma to the brain that wasn’t considered serious. He changed helmets to begin the 2010 campaign. Again, this time, he never lost consciousness and walked off the field at McMahon Stadium. His only symptom was a constant headache that persisted about 10 days.
Emry, who must play his position with reckless abandon and is primarily responsible for stopping the run, said he’s not overly concerned with his potential quality of life years from now. But neither is he taking his string of head injuries blithely.
“I’m not concerned, but am conscious of the fact as to what’s going on in the NHL. I have to take care of it properly and combat the long-term effects,� said Emry, drafted seventh overall by Montreal in 2008 out of U.B.C. “I’ve thought about it because of the NHL. But I don’t worry about that. It’s more about being healthy.�
Emry sustained his latest concussion after his head hit the ground. He felt awry when he returned to the team bench and huddled with the game-day doctor.
“I didn’t feel right, but I was conscious of what was going on and didn’t want to do further damage,� he said.
He took Tylenol in an attempt to ease the pain, but refused to over-medicate himself, knowing it was paramount to realize when the symptoms were beginning to ease. He didn’t experience other side-effects, namely dizziness or nausea, and never encountered difficulties sleeping.
“During the first part, the headaches were constant,� he said. “Then they were intermittent and then they went away.�
Emry has been provided by the team with brochures outlining the effects and ramifications of concussions. He underwent a laptop procedure, testing his reactionary time, before being cleared to resume workouts. He was on the field for the first time last Friday and will be eased into the defence against Winnipeg, sharing time with his replacement, Ramon Guzman.
Safety Étienne Boulay was placed on the nine-game injured list after sustaining a concussion. His backup, Tad Crawford, also is recovering from one and only now has been cleared to resume training. Crawford sustained his injury on the opening kickoff, at Hamilton, on Labour Day, after striking his head on the turf. But his concussion was more severe than Emry’s.
“I don’t remember the first half,� Crawford admitted. “There was a confusion, a problem with balance and I was slow to react.
“You have to be patient,� Crawford added. “Your recovery’s slow and then, all of a sudden, it clicks.�
hzurkowsky@montrealgazette.com