Westbrook: I'm concerned about the future

Eagles running back Brian Westbrook is fully aware of the impact concussions can have long after his playing days are over.

And he admits to being scared and concerned when thinking about what life could be like when he's 50 or 60 years old.

"I'm really scared," Westbrook said during an interview Wednesday night on HBO's Joe Buck Live. "I'm worried about it. Concussions have been all over the headlines, all over the papers and things like that. It's been on the top of my mind since the Redskins game, the 26th of October. I'm very concerned just because there's not a lot of data that says in 10 years, 20 years, you'll be fine if you have too many concussions. I'm worried about that. And hopefully, next time I go out and play, I don't have to worry about it anymore."

Westbrook's first concussion this season occurred in the Eagles' 27-17 win over the Redskins in Week 7 (Oct. 26).

He sat out two weeks before returning to the lineup in Week 10 against the Chargers. In his very first game back on Nov. 15, Westbrook suffereed a second concussion.

The following week, he visited with concussion specialists in Pittsburgh. The doctors released a statement saying they expected Westbrook to make a full recovery.

"You can't ever life your life without having a brain," he said. "Now, when you play football, you're probably gonna to have a knee problem, you're probably gonna have an ankle problem, but you don't expect to leave the game thinking that -- or not even having the ability to think, not even having the ability to remember... things like that. And so, I don't want to put myself in that position and that's what really it comes down to."

Westbrook said he's working with doctors, coaches and the training staff to make sure he's 100 percent healthy before returning to the field. He said he'll practice "a little bit" Wednesday, but wouldn't detail what exactly that means.

Earlier today, in case you miseed it, we blogged Man Up on the defense.