This is an example of football being a victim of its own tough-guy image. In a sport where brain damage is compared to ringing a bell and major nerve damage is called a stinger, players are never allowed to say "I'm hurt, I can't play." The whole handling of the injury issue last year made Smith look like a wimp in front of his teammates. He had to come back as soon as possible.

I have to wonder why the training staff didn't catch this. It seems they have been making light of Smith's injuries throughout this process.

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