KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles took a short break Tuesday afternoon from promoting “Call of Duty” in California to make an on-air guest appearance on 610 Sports Radio.
Speaking to co-hosts Danny Parkins and Carrington Harrison of “The Drive,” Charles said he felt he didn’t have a concussion that kept him out of the Chiefs’ 45-44 first-round playoff loss against the Indianapolis Colts.
Jan 4, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) exits the game after an injury during the first quarter of the 2013 AFC wild card playoff football game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Charles added he tried to get back on the field.
“I feel like I didn’t have a concussion,” Charles said. “I kind of got like a wooze, like a boxer. Give me the 10-count, let me count 1, 2, 3, 4, count all the way to 10, and let me get back in the ring and let me fight again.”
Asked by Parkins to clarify if he felt he suffered a concussion against the Colts, Charles responded with an emphatic, “No.”
“You know the rules now,” Charles continued. “I started to get up and jog on the sidelines – go up and down, up and down – and the next thing you know, they were like, ‘Let’s go to the locker room.’
“And I went to the locker room and the next thing you know I never came back out. I was mad about that, but I can’t do nothing about it. You know what’s going on with the NFL with the concussion stuff and you just got to respect the NFL rules.”
Charles, who was knocked out of the game on the Chiefs’ opening drive, said he didn’t feel it was necessary to return after he watched the team jump to a 38-10 lead.
“There was no need to go back in the game after seeing what we were doing,” he said. “I was excited to get ready for the next week’s game.”
Charles, who finished the playoff loss with 18 yards rushing on three carries, said he believes the Chiefs would’ve won against the Colts if he didn’t leave the game.
“I feel like I was about to go out there and carry my team,” he said. “I feel like I was picking up 6, 6, the next thing you know 4.
“I mean, I feel you couldn’t tell me I was about to go out there and have a good game just because the way it started. The way it started, I feel like I was in my zone.”
Parkins then asked Charles if he had an opportunity to watch the game.
“Oh yeah, I got to watch the game,” Charles responded. “I was excited, next thing you know I was mad. But at the end of the day, man, my team had a great season, did a great job this whole year of playing football. It just wasn’t our day for us. (Colts quarterback Andrew) Luck was lucky that day.”
As for the NFL rules surrounding concussion, Charles said he understands why the rules are in place surrounding player safety in light of recent lawsuits.
However, he didn’t appear to be a big fan of the concussion protocol guidelines.
“I feel like when somebody wants to play, just let them play,” Charles said. “It’s one of those times I wanted to play, but I feel like I couldn’t do nothing about it.”
Click here to listen to the entire interview, via 610 Sports Radio.
