Ex-NFL FB Le'Ron McClain Says His 'Brain Is F--king Tired' in Head Injury Thread

Former NFL fullback Le'Ron McClain went on a Twitter to ask the league for help to get his head checked out because of the issues he is having.

The two-time Pro Bowler made the comments in a thread (warning: contains explicit language):

In a 2013 interview, B/R's Mike Freeman described one of the multiple concussions McClain suffered during his career:

"He was with the Kansas City Chiefs. It was 2011. There was a collision, the details of which he still cannot exactly remember. The symptoms began with a dull pain in his neck, then a tingling sensation that started in his feet, then a constellation in his head.

"The stars eventually disappeared, but the tingling stayed.

"McClain stayed on the ground for a moment, then slowly made his way to the bench. He put his helmet close by, thinking he would shake it off and return to the game."

In the same interview, McClain said he was initially "pissed" the trainers confiscated his helmet to prevent him from going back in.

"Looking back, I'm glad they protected me," he said.

The long-term effects of concussions and repeated head trauma on athletes have become a prominent topic in sports in general and the NFL in particular in recent years.

In 2017, The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study by Dr. Ann McKee, a neuropathologist at Boston University, in which she examined the brains of 111 former NFL players. From that group, 110 players were found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

As part of a class-action settlement with former players who sued the league on grounds "that head trauma sustained during their careers had caused or could cause a variety of neurological problems," claimants can receive up to $5 million in compensation from the NFL, per AL.com's Mark Inabinett.

McClain played seven seasons in the NFL from 2007 to 2013. He was a member of the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers.