Pittman Recalls the Hit That Left Him Concussed
During a recent interview, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. opened up about a hit he took during a game that resulted in a concussion. Pittman described how he was completely unaware of the incoming tackle and only regained consciousness after the impact.
“I honestly never saw him coming. I was diving, I caught it, and then, all of a sudden, I woke up and there’s people looking down at me. I was like, ‘Oh, s—, what just happened?” Pittman recalled.
Realization Sets In
It wasn’t until Pittman saw his wife and daughter crying that he fully grasped the severity of the hit. He admitted that he didn’t initially understand the impact and the frightening nature of the incident.
“I really didn’t grasp how significant it was until I watched it,” he said. “I remember sitting in my locker, and then my wife came in crying, my daughter was crying. And that’s the first time that I was like, ‘Maybe this was bad.'”
Assessment of the Hit
Pittman went on to express his opinion about the hit, stating that he believed the defensive back, Damontae Kazee, was “headhunting” and that it was not a clean tackle. However, he also mentioned that he didn’t believe Kazee intended to cause a life-changing injury.
“But I don’t think he meant to try to impose a life-changing injury. I don’t think any player has that in them. And you never want to see guys lose games and lose that much money. … He has a family, too, and I know that’s a hefty fine,” Pittman said.
Kazee’s History of Fines
This is not the first time that Kazee has faced disciplinary action for his tackling technique. He has previously been fined multiple times throughout the season for various infractions. Most recently, he was fined nearly $12,000 for a hit on the Cincinnati Bengals’ Irv Smith. This marked his fifth fine of the season and fourth for a tackle.
Despite the incident, Pittman has cleared concussion protocol. However, he remains questionable for the upcoming game due to a shoulder injury.
