Concussions chased Wayne Chrebet out of the NFL, robbed one of the most popular Jets ever of a chance to say goodbye to the fans who loved him. Until now.
Gang Green honored him with Wayne Chrebet Day and a video tribute at halftime of yesterday’s 31-28 win over Miami. A choked-up Chrebet said for one perfect day, it made him forget about the headaches and dizziness and ailments he may face the rest of his life.
“The headaches are steady. Sometimes you don’t want to get out of bed. But days like this I forget all about it,” said Chrebet. “It was beyond my wildest dreams. It’s the ending to a perfect career. This is my chance to say goodbye. The way my career ended, getting led off the field, isn’t how I envisioned it. Getting closure and being able to thank (the fans) . . . I was completely overwhelmed. It broke me down.”
Unfortunately, the game had already done that. He played with the reckless abandon expected of a 5-foot-10 undrafted free agent. He missed at least six games after shots to the head and says the concussions “piled up,” but won’t guess how many. Two come to mind.
On Nov. 2, 2003 against the Giants, a knee to the back of the head knocked him cold, but a quarter later team Dr. Elliott Pellman – also chair of the NFL’s mild traumatic brain injury committee – put him back in. Ten days later, sluggish and tired, he went on injured reserve list.
On Nov. 6 two years later, Chrebet’s head smashed to the ground on fourth-quarter catch vs. the Chargers. He hobbled off, and after the game a trainer had to help him take off his uniform. A day later, he’s on I.R. and never plays again.
“The doctors need to decide, not give the players the choice. Everybody’s going to decide the same thing. They want to play,” said Chrebet, who ignored warnings and came back for a 10th year. “I knew what might happen but I couldn’t change what was in me. You see the result, but I don’t regret playing.”
The result is he often wakes up with debilitating headaches, can’t go on roller coasters, exercise like he used to, or do anything to send blood to his head.
“Earlier, anything was wrong with me I didn’t tell anybody. I wasn’t in a position,” Chrebet said. “You can’t afford to take a play off. Someone takes your spot, they make a play, it could be over.”