NEW YORK -- Former New England Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson said coach Bill Belichick subjected him to hard hits in practice while he was recovering from a concussion -- against the advice of the team's top trainer.

Johnson, who helped the Patriots win three Super Bowl titles before retiring two years ago, told The New York Times that a collision with another player during that 2002 practice led to another concussion. And, after sustaining additional concussions over the next three seasons, he now forgets people's names, misses appointments and suffers from depression and an addiction to amphetamines.

"There's something wrong with me," Johnson, 34, told the Times in a story posted on its Web site Thursday night. "There's something wrong with my brain. And I know when it started."

The Boston Globe, which is owned by the Times, posted a similar story on its Web site.

Johnson, who played 10 years in the NFL, said he began to deteriorate in August 2002 with a concussion during an exhibition game against the New York Giants. He sustained another concussion four days later after Belichick prodded him to participate in a full-contact practice, even though he was supposed to be avoiding hits, Johnson said.

The next month, with their relationship already strained, Johnson confronted Belichick about the practice after the coach asked him to meet in his office.

"I told him, 'You played God with my health. You knew I shouldn't have been cleared to play,'" Johnson told the Globe.

Belichick told the Globe he got no cue from Johnson in practice that day that he was hesitant about participating in the full-contact drill.

"If Ted felt so strongly that he didn't feel he was ready to practice with us, he should have told me," Belichick said.

The Patriots did not allow Jim Whalen, still their head trainer, to comment for this story, according to the Globe.

Patriots spokesman Stacey James told The Associated Press on Thursday night that the team was aware of the report but was not prepared to comment.

In a story last month, the Times reported that brain damage caused on the football field ultimately led to the suicide of former NFL defensive back Andre Waters last November, according to a forensic pathologist who studied Waters' brain tissue.

"We have been focused on the issue of concussions for years," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told the AP. "It remains one of our prime concerns as we continue to do everything possible to protect the health of our players."

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to answer questions about the issue at his annual state of the NFL news conference Friday.

Dr. Lee H. Schwamm, the neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital who examined Johnson, wrote in a memo on Aug. 19, 2002, that Johnson sustained a second concussion in that practice, the Times reported.

Schwamm also wrote that, after speaking with Whalen, the trainer "was on the sidelines when he sustained the concussion during the game and assessed him frequently at the sideline" and that "he has kept Mr. Johnson out of contact since that time."

Johnson said he spoke with Belichick the next day about the incident, but only briefly, the Times said.

"He was vaguely acknowledging that he was aware of what happened," Johnson said, "and he wanted to just kind of let me know that he knew."

Johnson sat out the next two preseason games on the advice of his neurologist but played in the final one. Then, thinking he was still going to be left off the active roster for the season opener against Pittsburgh, he angrily left camp for two days before returning and meeting with Belichick.

"It's as clear as a bell, 'I had to see if you could play,'" Johnson recalled Belichick saying, according to the Times.

Moments later, Johnson said, Belichick admitted he had made a mistake by subjecting him to a full-contact drill.

"It was a real kind of admittance, but it was only him and I in the room," Johnson told the Times.

After returning to game action, the linebacker sustained more concussions of varying severity over the following three seasons, each of them exacerbating the next, according to his current neurologist, Dr. Robert Cantu.

Cantu told the Times he was certain that Johnson's problems "are related to his previous head injuries, as they are all rather classic postconcussion symptoms."

He added, "They are most likely permanent."

Cantu, the chief of neurosurgery and director of sports medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Mass., also said Johnson shows signs of early Alzheimer's disease.

"The majority of those symptoms relentlessly progress over time," Cantu said. "It could be that at the time he's in his 50s, he could have severe Alzheimer's symptoms."

Johnson told the Globe he estimates he had at least six concussions in his last three seasons but reported only one because he already had a reputation as an injury-prone player and he didn't want to make it worse.

"Looking back, it was stupid not to tell anyone," Johnson said. "But I didn't know then that every time you have a concussion, you are four to six times more susceptible the next time. I had no idea the damage I was causing myself."

Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players Association, spoke in general terms about concussions at a news conference Thursday in Miami, where the Super Bowl will be played Sunday.

"If a coach or anyone else is saying, 'You don't have a concussion, you get back in there,' you don't have to go, and you shouldn't go," Upshaw said, not speaking about Johnson's case specifically. "You know how you feel. That's what we tried to do throughout the years, is take the coach out of the decision-making. It's the medical people that have to decide."

Upshaw told the AP that concussions are one of the issues the union is examining this year.

"We've seen a number of concussions in the NFL this year, and as a result of our studies, we've seen a change in the helmet. We're also studying the effects of that on concussions," Upshaw said.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

As a Pats fan it saddened me to hear about this on the radio and read these comments this morning. Ted Johnson was a terrific player for the Pats, he used to absolutely own the Steelers and specifically Bettis. I find it hard to believe that he's coming out 2 years after retirement and blaming Belichick for his health issues. Sorry Ted, but I just can't side with you on this one. I doubt that the steroid abuse that led to torn biceps in both arms had anything to do with your health issues And I'm sorry but you can't tell me that a veteran football player, or any player for that matter, would have the sense enough not to step on the field when he had been diagnosed by the medical staff and told not to participate in contact drills. You can't tell me that Belichick "forced" him to strap on his pads and get out there. Teddy's a big boy, I think that he could have stood up to "Mr. Class" as Clubber put it. Ted I always liked you as a player, but you come across as nothing more than a whiny bitch now!

Mr. Class vs. Mr. Class should be the title. Johnson beat the bag out of his wife a couple years ago.

he could probably figure out a way to blame that on Belicheck as well...

I'm sure he will blame his depression for doing it.

I know these guys are under a lot of pressure to play through injuries, but at some point you need to think for yourself and do what's right for you. Especially when it comes to head injuries. Nobody put a gun to this guy's head...and it's not like he was a rookie trying to make the team or anything like that.

I hope they can help Ted and learn how to prevent these kinds of issues.

It's kind of hard for me to slam Bellicheck on this. This kind of thing is pretty common really, I mean you run into people and create violent concussions for a living, Ted is an adult and personal safety is his responsibility ultimately. If it means being cut, it means being cut.

Ted was a monster on the field and off. he beat his wife, he did steroids and he always hit hard. he did a lot of damage to himself after the concussion in question, not to mention his admittance of an addiction to amphetimines, which i'm sure makes life easier when you're 'jonesin' i'd say he has no case, and eventhough its a very sad situation, its even more upsetting that he would attack Belichick and the Pats/Krafts, when they did so much for him.

where are all the people complaining about a "boston area" topic now?

Clubber can do whatever he wants; Massholes can't.

okay, just making sure i had it right.

Just a month and a half ago TJ said on the radio he was hoping that the Patriots would call him after Seau went on IR and that he would come back in a second.
Sounds like he's bitter. It's understandable, having brain damage in your 30s can't be easy.

Completely disagree. NFL players are by and large morons. Head coaches and team physicians should work together to make sure everyone on the field is healthy enough to be doing so without harming themselves. I don't have any confidence in the players' intelligence or level of self-awareness to put the burden on them.

but everyone knows that's not always the case. At some point, you have to take responsibility for your own body.

Well, you might be right if you mean by necessity. I'm just saying it shouldn't be a necessity.

I'm not gonna jump all over Belidick on this one but it is an interesting story. Johnson was fighting for his job and his head was obviously not in great shape when he decided to gut it out and play with the concussion. His coach should try and protect his player no matter what part of the season it is, especially if the head trainer says he isn't ready to go. I can see if it was a sprained ankle or knee, but you don't want to mess with a guy who's brain has been rattled.

Also, is this stuff about him being on steroids fact? I can't seem to remember his name ever being mentioned with steroids. I wouldn't be surprised but am curious. And if he did then Tom Brady should give back his Super Bowl MVP's

4 years early are ya?

Tough to leave the decision on the player that just had a head injury to make the decision.

I am with you on never hearing the steroid thing before.

i don't think it was ever an official investigation or anything, but it was well documented in boston papers, and maybe even back in Boulder, that he used steroids and it was possibly the reason why both of his biceps were torn in consecutive seasons.