Su'a Cravens Comments on Potential Concussion, CTE Risk in NFL

For the first time ever on March 15, the NFL admitted to a link between football and the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, per ESPN.com's Steve Fainaru. Former USC linebacker and safety Su'a Cravens believes the risk of CTE is part of the job description.    

Cravens is about to enter the league through the 2016 draft and spoke after USC's pro day on Wednesday about CTE and concussions in the violent sport, per ESPN.com's Kyle Bonagura:

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I know I'm going to the game where I'm going to hit and sometimes you're going to use your head to hit and you might get a concussion. That's what we sign up for. I saw that the NFL passed that they’re not going to be paying any more lawsuits on CTE from now on. So if that's the case, let's take helmet-to-helmet penalties out. If we know we're signing up for that, let's play. That's how I look at it.

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Although the 20-year-old played against top-flight college competition on the gridiron as a member of the Trojans, the NFL is a whole other level of physicality and brutality. The speed of the game is far swifter, which is why the league has taken precautions to make it safer by adjusting rules in recent years.

Perhaps there's some youthful naivete and innocence to Cravens' remarks. He said his opinion "might change" about traumatic head injuries if and when he sees Concussion starring Will Smith, a film that deals with the subject matter Cravens was commenting on.

Bleacher Report draft expert Matt Miller has had Cravens with a first-round grade in the past but lists him as the 47th-best prospect in his latest big board. That suggests the ex-USC standout will be drafted sometime in the second round.

His versatility as a defender gives him multiple avenues to succeed in the pros, but it's important for Cravens to take care of his body and not be too reckless if he wants to have any NFL longevity.

Cravens' stance on helmet-to-helmet collisions is in stark contrast to the recent rule change, reported on Wednesday by ESPN's Adam Schefter, that ejects players who draw two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a game.

The enthusiasm Cravens has for football is admirable. He'll need to be in a proactive mindset to make a smooth transition as an NFL rookie too. The key is to be healthy enough to make an impact for whatever team invests a premium draft pick on him.