Jake The Snake Roberts Shares Surprising Estimated Number Of Concussions He's Had

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that many pro wrestlers have experienced. While speaking about the tragic impact concussions seemingly had on Chris Benoit — who committed double murder-suicide in 2007 – WWE Hall of Famer Jake "The Snake" Roberts revealed a surprising number of estimated concussions he had suffered throughout his career. 

"I mean, I went and did the test and stuff," Roberts said on "The Snake Pit" podcast. "We figured out that I had at least three concussions a year. Now that's bad. That's real bad considering that I wrestled for 30 years. That's 90 concussions. So what's my brain look like?"

"I was struggling there for a while talking because I'd not talked a lot," Roberts added. "Doing this [podcast] has helped me ... But yeah, [I'm] scared to death [about] what's going to wind up. I look at the next 5-10 years. What's my brain gonna do? If I'm here."

Testing later revealed that Benoit's brain was seriously damaged at the time of his death, with Julian Bailes of the Sports Legacy Institute claiming that it "was the result of a lifetime of chronic concussions and head trauma" throughout his pro wrestling career. 

In a move to protect its wrestlers, WWE now has strict protocols in place when it comes to concussions. Moves such as chair shots to the head — which were common prior to the promotion's product becoming TV-PG in 2008 — are banned. 

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "The Snake Pit" with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.