No matter how far we’ve come in concussions awareness, there’s always far to go still.

Notre Dame’s Torii Hunter Jr. made that clear this week when he casually said of his recent concussion, “It was my first one that I've told them about, or that they've known about.”

The implication, of course, is that there have been others but that he never bothered to do anything about them. Furthermore, his words imply that nobody else noticed any of his possible concussions before. The difference in this instance was that he actually lost consciousness on the field, so self-reporting was moot.

That there are still players who ignore concussion symptoms, who speak of getting evaluated and treated for such as though it’s the exception rather than the rule, shows just how far we have to go in concussion awareness. Head injuries are incredibly serious matters, and impressing on players just how serious they are needs to be a priority for every league, team, and parent.

*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g-forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefender products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.