Amani Toomer did not look good. He appeared dazed, off kilter, and when he spoke, he sounded even worse than he looked. Suddenly, one of the Giants’ main offensive weapons is no sure thing to play in this Sunday’s important game against the Lions.
Toomer sat out the second half of yesterday’s 38-24 loss to the Rams because of a concussion, the first one of his career, and he actually played most of the first half with no memory of the hit that caused the concussion.
“I don’t remember being up, I don’t remember being down,” Toomer said afterward, in halting sentences. “My head is not feeling right right now.”
The injury happened early in what became an immediate game-turning play. On the Giants’ first offensive series, he caught a 20-yard pass from Kerry Collins and was nailed by both London Fletcher and Keith Lyle. Toomer was hit hard, directly in the helmet, and as he crumbled to the ground he lost the ball on the way down. As Dexter McCleon recovered the fumble and returned it to the Giants 1-yard line, Toomer remained down. He eventually got to his feet and hobbled off the field. The impact of the blow crushed Toomer’s helmet.
“I don’t remember anything,” Toomer said. “I remember running the route and then being on the sideline. I don’t remember being down or walking to the sideline. I remember playing, I remember my headache getting worse and worse.”
Toomer actually played the rest of the first half, although he did not catch any more passes, and was replaced after halftime by Joe Jurevicius. Toomer said he believes he lost consciousness, but he does not know for how long. The Giants often send players who have suffered a concussion to the hospital for observation, but Toomer was sent home. The Giants spoke with his brother, Donald, who is visiting, and instructed Donald to keep an eye on Amani during the night.
“I feel pretty woozy,” Toomer said. “I feel like fuzzy, everything’s kind of fuzzy.”