We all know professional football is a tough game played by tough men. Still, it's easy to be blown away by just how much some players go through to stay on the field.
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Consider the case of Detroit Lions defensive end Willie Young, who cut his middle finger to the bone and severed nerves while tackling Green Bay Packers running back James Starks three weeks ago.
The cut was deep enough that stitches wouldn't help, and Young's finger still looked badly mangled as of Friday. The only treatment has been to soak it in chemicals and disinfectants. You can see what the finger looks like here, but be warned -- it's not for the faint of heart.
And now the crazy part. Young said this week that he seriously contemplated having the finger amputated to spare him the nuisance. Yep, the ol' Ronnie Lott move.
"Two weeks ago, I was like, 'Yeah, let's get rid of it,' " Young said, according to the Detroit News. "But it's a little better now, so maybe I will keep it."
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Young has not missed a practice or a game since suffering the injury. He said his plan is to continue "to tape it up and eat the pain."
And how bad is that pain?
"On a scale of one to 10," he said, "nine point nine, nine, nine, nine."
Remember this story the next time you're complaining about a hangnail.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.
