Michael Pittman Jr. breaks silence about Damontae Kazee's hit, credits luck for avoiding life-threatening injury - "Not a legal hit"
Michael Pittman Jr. opened up about Damontae Kazee's hit that left him concussed after the Colts' game against the Steelers. The Pittsburgh safety has been suspended for the rest of the regular season for the hit to a defenseless player that endangered the Indianapolis player's health. They also took into account his repeated violations to reach to this ruling.
Michael Pittman Jr. said that he did not want Damontae Kazee suspended but he said that he did not feel it was a clean or a legal hit. He went on to say that he understood that his adversary was not trying to get him injured,
"I think it was not a clean hit but but like I don't necessarily want them to suspend him and him lose out on everything because... I don't think that he was trying to really hurt me now, like, he was trying to make it hurt... which is different hurt... Injured is different. I don't think he was trying to try to paralyze me but I don't think it was legal."
Michael Pittman Jr. says that he will not change after Damontae Kazee's hit
Michael Pittman Jr. was also asked if he is going to change the way he catches the ball after the hit by Damontae Kazee, and the Colts player said that he would not. Even though he has now been cleared from concussion protocol for their next game against the Atlanta Falcons, he recollected how scary the incident was.
He said,
"No, I mean, I mean honestly, I never saw him coming. I was diving and I caught it and then all of a sudden, I woke up and there's people looking down at me. I was, what just happened?"
Because he does not remember what happened, he does not envisage changing his playing style. He emphasized,
"I mean it's not going to change. I mean I barely even remember it, so… it won't be anything. I think it's the pure grace of God that I was able to get up and walk. I mean, that was a very scary hit and honestly going through my head, to be honest with you, I had at the point nothing... I was thinking that I didn't know where I was at. But… it all came back very clear for me."
Previously star players like Aaron Rodgers have revealed how scary concussions can be. With the NFL always wary of lawsuits, one hopes that such incidents will be eliminated even before they happen through proper training guidelines. Damontae Kazee's hit on Michael Pittman Jr. should be the last of its kind.