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Calvin Johnson admits he hid concussions during career

Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

Now that Calvin Johnson is retired, he has no problem discussing the reality of head injuries in the NFL, but it wasn't always that way.

On the heals of Tom Brady's wife, Gisele Bundchen, claiming her husband had an undocumented concussion last season, Johnson has opened up about how the injury is treated among NFL players.

"Guys get concussions, they don’t tell the coaches," Johnson said Saturday, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. "It happens. I don’t tell the coach sometimes cause I know I got a job to do. The team needs me out there on the field. And sometimes you allow that to jeopardize yourself, but that’s just the nature of the world."

Johnson was never officially diagnosed with a concussion during his nine-year career.

Related: Calvin Johnson not pleased with Lions' treatment after retirement

When pressed for specifics and whether he ever lied to doctors about a head injury, Johnson was very honest.

"Of course," said Johnson. "They’re going to dispute that, but anytime you black out, anytime you hit the ground and everything is stars and stuff, any time your brain hits your skull, that's a concussion.

"No matter how severe it is, it's a concussion. Now granted, some people get nausea. That's a severe concussion when you get hit like that and you get nausea and stuff like that. But if you play football long enough (you’re going to have concussions)."

While Johnson's retirement was a surprise to most when announced, it appears the Lions all-time leading receiver may have had more reasons than the public knew about for hanging up his pads.

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