Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed weighed in on the risks of concussions as they are associated with football, and said it is a risk players sign up for when they play the sport.

“We have to protect ourselves,” Reed told the Buffalo News. “But football has been this way for ages. It’s always been a contact sport. It’s going to be a violent sport. You’re going to have repercussions from that.

“But every player who ever played this game, and will play it, they signed up for it. We signed up for it. We know what can happen. God forbid it happen to anyone, but that’s the life we choose to live.”

Reed was then asked about the suicide of Junior Seau last May and if that is what he "signed up for."

“Yeah,” Reed said, “he signed up to play football. We all signed up to play football. Do you want it to happen? No. When I was on the golf course, did I want to hear that Junior Seau died? No. I grew up watching him play. That was a sad day, man, a sad day."

Reed admits he sometimes feels the effects of concussions with memory loss.

“I feel effects from it,” Reed said. “Sometimes I wake up and it’s ‘Where did my memory go?’ But I signed up for it. Once that whistle blows and you’re between those lines, it’s time to play ball. You’re going to play it the the way you know how. Junior gave everything to football, and I’m sure he’s looking down with no regrets.”

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Terry McCormick covers the Titans for TitanInsider.com