CFL receiver Andy Fantuz knows the 'scary feeling' of coming back from a concussion

It's happened to Andy Fantuz twice in recent football seasons and it might have happened to him in the past, too.

"I've had two documented concussions in the last five years and I've probably had a few more a long time ago that weren't documented before we knew a lot about concussions," the veteran wide receiver told CBC News in a telephone interview.

As a result, Fantuz knows what it feels like to suffer a concussion, even if that experience is hard to convey to someone else.

That includes what a player goes through when coming back from a head injury and stepping back onto the football field once again.

"It's a scary feeling and it's something that you can never really explain properly until you've experienced one," said Fantuz, who has played in the CFL for more than a decade.

"When your brain is injured, you really don't feel like yourself and it's a totally different experience than having another part of your body injured."

Fear carries risks, too

He said any athlete coming back from an injury like this needs to feel confident about their condition before seeing any in-game action.

"When you play tentatively and you are afraid about that next hit, then that's when you are more susceptible to an injury," said Fantuz.

Fantuz travelled to Western University on Tuesday to talk to young football players about the nature of head injuries and techniques they should use on the field to avoid getting hurt.

Other CFL athletes were taking part in the same event, which was organized by the Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada.

Fantuz spoke to CBC News ahead of the event at Western.

A key point he intended to make for players was to work to keep their head out of harm's way, whether taking part in an offensive or defensive play.

"You never want to put your head down, you never want to lead with your head, you never want to fall on your head," he said. "You just basically want to try to avoid all contacts with your head if at all possible."

But he's aware that football is a game that brings risks for the people on the field.

That's why Fantuz sees it as being so important for younger players to learn the best techniques to prevent injuries and for them to understand the impact of head injuries — and what needs to be done when a concussion occurs.

"It's just always good to reiterate how important it is to protect your head," said Fantuz.