A former NFL football player, who played 11 years with the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers, has admitted that he faked his way through concussion injuries. Jeff Hartings recounted on a Sirius XM NFL radio show how he and a teammate discussed the Impact concussion test when it was first introduced.

“I remember it came out in ’05 or ’06, right when I was retiring basically and it was kind of a joke. Nobody really took it seriously. We just kind of complained about having to do it (and) faked our way through it.”

Hartings, now a coach, said his attitude has changed about concussions.

“I think the publicity has helped the NFL and helped everyone come around and start teaching us about the significant impact a concussion can have on you long-term and short-term,” Hartings said.