QB Tate shoots down concussion concerns
Twice said he didn’t remember first half
CALGARY— Stampeders quarterback Drew Tate now says he didn’t remember the first half of Sunday’s CFL West Division semifinal because he wanted to erase it from his memory, not because of a concussion.
Tate issued a statement Monday clarifying controversial comments he’d made both at halftime and following the 36-30 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Tate got to his feet slowly after a helmet-to-helmet hit from Saskatchewan’s Tearrius George early in the second quarter. He told TSN at the half: “I got hit in the head. I don’t remember the first half.” After the game, he made similar comments: “I got my bell rung. I don’t remember the first half.”
But Tate also stated at the time that he wasn’t concussed, sparking confusion. Stampeders head coach/GM John Hufnagel told reporters Monday that Tate passed all concussion tests “with flying colours.”
The players had Monday off, but Tate said in his statement that his amnesia was self-induced and not from a blow to the head.
“I got dinged in the second quarter and there was some fuzziness on that drive, but I obviously knew what I was doing and had no problems,” Tate said. “By the time I got to the sideline and talked to everyone, I felt fine.
“The reason I said I didn’t remember anything from the first half was because we didn’t play great and I just wanted to move on. Looking back, I answered that question way too casually, but it was because I just wanted to go start warming up for the second half. For me, I meant it like forgetting about a play and moving on to the next play during a game.
“After the game, I told media guys that I was having a hard time concentrating when they were asking questions. There was just so much adrenaline from winning the game, from everything that happened during the week with my family, with being named the starter.
“Again, I answered questions about the hit too casually because it wasn’t a big deal to me. I just said whatever because the moment was very overwhelming.”
George led with his head when he hit Tate. The former Stampeder was slapped with a roughing-thepasser penalty, but Hufnagel wasn’t calling for supplemental discipline.
“He lowered his head. You would like players not to do that,” Hufnagel said. “I don’t think he did it intentionally.”