Troy Polamalu joined the Dan Patrick Show this morning to talk about concussions. Polamalu told Dan that he has had eight or nine concussions during his playing career and has lied to trainers about injuries to stay in games.

Polamalu told the show:

“I’ve had, I believe, eight or nine recorded concussions. We’ll have another conversation after I’m done playing football.”

He went on to say,

“When you get your bell rung they consider that a concussion — I wouldn’t … If that is considered a concussion, I’d say any football player at least records 50 to 100 concussions a year.”

“Somebody may say, ‘Is your knee messed up?’ It may be kind of messed up but you just kind of push yourself to be out there with your brothers. I wouldn’t say there are any major lies where I totally lied my way out of concussions. In fact, during concussions, if it’s serious enough you can’t even be conscious enough to lie.”

“There’s so much built up about team camaraderie and sacrifice, and football is such a tough man’s game. I think that’s why it’s so popular, why so many blue-collar communities and people feel really attracted to it, because it’s sort of a blue-collar struggle that football players go through in terms of the physicality of the game and the commitment you need. … It’s that commitment you need to play football. You feel sore, you’re beat up, you’re injured, you’re legitimately injured, most people may take three months off to work in an office, we choose to play the next week.”

Polamalu also talked about having a cameo in the new Dark Knight movie.

To hear the full interview click here.