National Football League

A sampling of what NFL players told the AP about injuries

Published Jan. 31, 2016 9:58 a.m. ET

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A sampling of the responses from 100 NFL players surveyed by The Associated Press about injuries:

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''Everybody that plays this game knows that there's a chance that you could go out there and this could be your last game. I think everybody's conscious of that, but nobody wants to worry themselves about it while they're playing.'' - Jacksonville Jaguars safety Josh Evans.

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''This is a rough game but I don't think about those things. I just enjoy it.'' - New York Giants tight end Larry Donnell.

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''On offense, they don't really dictate how hard they get hit, but I'm a defensive player, so I dictate how hard I hit the person across from me. Of course I'm not just going to go dive headfirst and try to injure myself. You've got different people who think differently. When I go to tackle a person, I understand that he has a family. (But) you've got some crazy horses out there. I've played with some people that are like, `I don't care if you get up after the play.'" - Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Cedric Thornton.

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''I don't believe the NFL has your best interest in mind. ... I've observed that not all 32 teams work in the same manner.'' - Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith.

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''It's a ton better than it's ever been, but I think there's still some times certain things aren't fully disclosed, as far as: Maybe it's something you can play through, but the reality is it's going to make you a lot worse after the season.'' - Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth.

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''I know some organizations definitely do what's best for the team. Some teams try to rush you to get back to the field.'' - Washington Redskins cornerback Will Blackmon.

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''They're overprotective, if anything.'' - Rams tight end Lance Kendricks.

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''I've got hips, back, shoulders, neck. That's going way before my head's going to go.'' - San Diego Chargers safety Eric Weddle.

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''Concussions is what I worry about the most, because it's happening every Sunday, really.'' - New Orleans Saints special teams player Brian Dixon.

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Online:

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL

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