Carolina Panthers QB Matt Blanchard back on field
Carolina Panthers fourth-string quarterback Matt Blanchard was back on a football field Wednesday for the first time since sustaining a severe concussion in an August exhibition game at New England that left him with headaches and vision problems.
Blanchard was sidelined for nearly three months after his head slammed into the artificial turf at Gillette Stadium at the end of a 6-yard scramble late in the Panthers’ exhibition loss to the Patriots on Aug. 22.
Blanchard, who is on injured reserve, has to regain the muscle mass and arm strength he lost after nearly 11 weeks of inactivity, including six weeks during which he wasn’t allowed to drive.
But he said it was nice getting back to the stadium and being a part of the team again.
“It’s hard sitting at home and just being alone,” Blanchard said at his locker Wednesday. “Those days were long, but I saw the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Blanchard said he “went black” after a Patriots defensive player hit from behind, causing his helmet to slam into the turf. He was able to walk off the field, but when he couldn’t make out the faces of the training staff, he was transported by ambulance to a Boston-area hospital.
A CT scan and MRI exam showed no head injuries besides the concussion, and he returned to Charlotte the next day.
“They thought I was going to be just a couple weeks, and the symptoms just didn’t go away,” Blanchard said.
While the headaches subsided after a couple of weeks, Blanchard’s vision was impaired for two months. He wasn’t allowed to drive and it hurt to look at a computer screen.
His fiancee flew in from Wisconsin several times to take Blanchard to appointments with his neurosurgeon and physical therapist.
“You just want to go out and be a normal person,” said Blanchard, who walked to a Harris Teeter near his south Charlotte townhome to buy groceries.
Blanchard, who joined the Panthers’ practice squad last season, was grateful for the level of concern and treatment he received from the team’s medical staff.
“These things take time. It’s not a muscle. It’s not a bone. You just don’t know,” Blanchard said. “I guess every case is different. I’ve been trying to stay positive. Things are clearing up now.”
Panthers coach Ron Rivera said the NFL’s concussion protocol worked in Blanchard’s case.
“That whole situation was scary with Matt. Seeing him moving around and doing those things again is good,” Rivera said. “This is a great example of why you have the protocol, just to make sure. And the way our organization handled it speaks very well to our doctors and trainers.”
Blanchard, 25, is signed through the end of the season for the minimum $420,000. The former Wisconsin-Whitewater standout said he hopes to continue his NFL career.
“I told my family when you’re hurt, those aren’t the times to make those types of decisions,” Blanchard said. “I’ve been told that I’m going to get better. And you have faith that the doctors are right and you are going to get better. And luckily that’s come true.
“So now that I’m feeling better, my body’s starting to feel more confident in everything I can do. And as we continue to build off it, I’ll see where I’m at. But all things point upward, and we’re getting there.”
This story was originally published November 12, 2014 at 8:00 PM.