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Lions RB Best wants to return to NFL next season

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Today’s health and safety updates from around football:

* The Detroit Free Press wrote about Jahvid Best of the Detroit Lions and his slow recovery from a concussion a year ago — and why he still wants to play football next season after he was not cleared for play this season.

“I’m feeling good,” Best said Tuesday night, after receiving the Ed Block Courage Award at the 19th annual Detroit Lions Courage House Dinner at Ford Field. “They tell me I can’t play this season, but they didn’t shut the door. For me, as a person, I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy. If you don’t shut the door, there is still a way. I’m still working. I’m still doing everything I can.”

* Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jared Allen was fined $21,000 for his blindside block on Chicago Bears lineman Lance Louis, who suffered a season-ending knee injury on the play, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

* The Associated Press reported Minnesota Vikings’ Kyle Rudolph and Harrison Smith passed their concussion tests on Wednesday after suffering head injuries in the same game.

* The Associated Press also reported on a forum held in Kansas City with the Chiefs and the U.S. Army as former Chiefs and servicemen talked about changing the culture surrounding concussions.

Several dozen Army officers listened to the discussion, including comments by Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Willie Lanier, who said he learned the lessons early. Lanier, who played from 1967 through 1977, serves on an NFL player safety panel studying ways to make the game safer. Lanier suffered numerous concussions in his rookie season, including one that didn’t manifest until a week later. Lanier says he changed his playing technique as a result, but only after he sought answers to his injury at the Mayo Clinic. “It wasn’t hard for me to do. I figured out I had to change the way I play the game or I don’t play,” Lanier said. “It just becomes practical that if you’re going to do it, you better do it smart. Because if you don’t do it smart you have all types of potential risks that you really shouldn’t take.”

 

 * Rant Sports speculated what concussion for Peyton Manning would do to the Denver Broncos.

* The Wisconsin State Journal reported that All-Big Ten receiver Jared Abbredaris has been cleared after suffering a concussion last Saturday against Penn State.

* The Alexandria (La.) Town Talk reported on the West Monroe (La.) coach who was back at practice Tuesday after suffering a concussion on a sideline hit last Friday.

– Bill Bradley, contributing writer