A sampling of what NFL players told the AP about injuries
By The Associated Press, Associated Press
Jan 31, 2016 8:57 AM CST
FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2015, file photo, a trainer tends to Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith (89) after an injury during the second half of an NFL football game against the San Diego Chargers in Baltimore. Smith is widely considered about as rugged as they come in today's NFL–he played part...   (Associated Press)

A sampling of the responses from 100 NFL players surveyed by The Associated Press about injuries:

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"Everybody that plays this game knows that there's a chance that you could go out there and this could be your last game. I think everybody's conscious of that, but nobody wants to worry themselves about it while they're playing." — Jacksonville Jaguars safety Josh Evans.

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"This is a rough game but I don't think about those things. I just enjoy it." — New York Giants tight end Larry Donnell.

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"On offense, they don't really dictate how hard they get hit, but I'm a defensive player, so I dictate how hard I hit the person across from me. Of course I'm not just going to go dive headfirst and try to injure myself. You've got different people who think differently. When I go to tackle a person, I understand that he has a family. (But) you've got some crazy horses out there. I've played with some people that are like, 'I don't care if you get up after the play.'" — Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Cedric Thornton.

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"I don't believe the NFL has your best interest in mind. ... I've observed that not all 32 teams work in the same manner." — Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith.

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"It's a ton better than it's ever been, but I think there's still some times certain things aren't fully disclosed, as far as: Maybe it's something you can play through, but the reality is it's going to make you a lot worse after the season." — Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth.

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"I know some organizations definitely do what's best for the team. Some teams try to rush you to get back to the field." — Washington Redskins cornerback Will Blackmon.

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"They're overprotective, if anything." — Rams tight end Lance Kendricks.

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"I've got hips, back, shoulders, neck. That's going way before my head's going to go." — San Diego Chargers safety Eric Weddle.

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"Concussions is what I worry about the most, because it's happening every Sunday, really." — New Orleans Saints special teams player Brian Dixon.

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Online:

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP_NFL