Calvin Johnson caught 731 passes for 11,619 yards in his nine-year NFL career, but he has no idea how many concussions he received while playing in the league.
"It's clear to see when you get a concussion," Johnson, who retired in March at age 30, said in an interview for E:60. "In football, concussions happen if not on every play, they happen like every other or every third play."
Johnson played all nine of his NFL seasons for the Lions. While he couldn't give an exact number on concussions, Johnson is positive he received his "fair share." Additionally, he said many players do "whatever it takes" to continue playing.
According to the six-time Pro Bowler, this includes taking painkillers.
"If you were hurting, then you could get 'em," he says. "It was nothing. I mean, if you needed Vicodin, call out, 'My ankle hurt,' you know. 'I need, I need it. I can't, I can't play without it,' or something like that. It was simple. That's how easy it was to get 'em. So if you were dependent on 'em, they were readily available," Johnson said.
The complete E:60 piece aired Thursday on ESPN.
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