LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- If you get hurt, some may say 'shake it off.' Yet, you just can't shake off a concussion.
A blow to the head in sports like football is common, but so are concussions. The Centers for Disease Control says a concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury when your brain actually moves quickly back and forth.
Robinson High School Quarter Back Kristian Thompson knows what a concussion feels like.
"I've never been hit harder in my life. When I hit the ground, I knew something was wrong," says Thompson.
Despite his instincts, he went back into the game.
"I couldn't remember the plays. I would go to the center and get back up and didn't know what play we were supposed to be running," says Thompson. "Everything gets so bright. It was sunset and it felt like midday."
If a player is put back into the game before fully recovering and gets another concussion, it could be bad news. The Centers for Disease Control says repeat concussions can slow down the recovery process, result in permanent brain damage, or the player can even die.
"We had a young man who came off the field and complained of a headache and was disoriented and we treated it as a concussion. He will be reevaluated today (Monday)," says Head Football Coach Todd Eskola.
Eskola says concussion concerns in the NFL have spilled over into high schools and for good reason. "You read about it in the NFL, from memory loss and long-term side effects where they can't function properly."
New this year, a grant allowed Robinson players to be tested on their memory and motor skills.
"They make you remember shapes and lines and stuff," says Thompson.
It's a baseline test. If there's any question they have a concussion this fall, players take the test again.
"If you are not all there and mess something up, then the whole play is shot," says Thompson.
Recent data shows that, on average, approximately 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury annually. Some will recover in a few days, while others could see long-term effects.
THV's education reporter Pam Baccam will have the story on "Today's THV at 6:00" and todaysthv.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @pbaccam.