In other words, we rarely see tangible evidence of the immediate toll that head injuries take on a football player’s body and mind.

But then this happened during Thursday night’s game between the Panthers and the Saints:

Luke Kuechly, Carolina’s Pro Bowl linebacker and the heart of the team’s defense, was carted off the field for a concussion evaluation late in the fourth quarter after taking a shot to the back of his head on a tackle. The cameras rolled as he sobbed. If it indeed is a concussion — we’re still waiting for the official word — it would be Kuechly’s second in as many seasons; he missed 34 days with a head injury in 2015.

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We’ve seen what head injuries do to players as they age, and it’s often horrible. But now we have a clear view of what they do immediately after the moment of impact, live, on television. Head injuries make strong men cry.

As for why, here’s former NFL tight end Christian Fauria, who suffered concussions during his playing career from 1995 to 2007:

If the sight of a prominent NFL player sobbing on the field doesn’t have an impact on how the league, its players and its fans view head injuries, I’m not sure anything will.

UPDATE 12:05 P.M. EST

While far from an official update on Keuchly’s condition, Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis posted a photo Friday on his Instagram that shows him in seemingly good spirits.