This is my short story:
I tore meniscus in my right knee in a varsity football game my sophomore year in high school at age 15. It was the very first defensive play of the game. I was told I just had a "sprain." On film, it didn't look "Theisman-like" at all. As a matter of fact, my knee didn't even stay planted on the ground. But I guess for a split fraction of a second, my cleats caught just long enough to tear the meniscus. I played most of the 1st half even though I could barely walk because I didn't want to let the team down...especially Coach Fryar who instructed us to not get hurt because we had already lost our starting linebacker Jon Norwood (hence, the reason I was playing linebacker as a sophomore). I somehow played the next week with a brace and even scored two TD's as a slot receiver. Well, it's been over 24 years, and four surgeries on just that one particular knee and this is the year that it got completely replaced. I probably should have left the game in hindsight. Since then, due to compensating for that first injury, I tore my left ACL in a high school basketball game 16-months later. I tore my right ACL in a pickup basketball game when I was 23. I tore my left Achilles running five years ago at 34 and now my right one feels exactly like the left one did before it snapped. I've had four surgeries on the initial right knee meniscus injury including a Microfracture Surgery at 25 that left me now with the only option of knee replacement coming this year at the age of 39. All of those injuries were the result of the first one (and ankle injuries due to over-compensation). I turned both of my ankles numerous times in HS (including twice on turf in playoff football games that caused me to miss the start of basketball both sophomore and junior years). Anyway, when I tore my Achilles in '08, I had x-rays and MRI's on both of my ankles and was told that both had been fractured at some point in my life. All of those injuries that were never properly corrected led to other injuries due to over-compensation. That's what I was told at my last Dr visit when they discovered the ankle fractures.
And I hope no one thinks I'm blaming anyone or complaining about these injuries. I chose to participate and chose to try and play through injury. Heck, I begged Coach McQueen to let me play baseball just two months after ACL surgery and thankfully he said no way! I even made him watch me run in order to prove my health (or lack thereof apparently). I was playing football just six months after my ACL surgery. I still ran a 6.9 in the 60-yard dash (however barefoot and on grass) my senior year in baseball. I even ran a 7.4 at the Cleveland Indians scouting combine 4 months after ACL surgery.
In the late 80's, early 90's, we obviously didn't take x-rays of injuries as they do now. But now that the technology is better and faster and more accurate, it's critical to take the necessary precautions.
Therefore, in my humble opinion, I hope every kid that has an injury will treat that with the highest priority even though our mentality is to play with pain. In the end, it's just not worth it.
I say, if you're injured. PLEASE LEAVE THE GAME!!! It's not worth being perceived a warrior even though it's the mentality we as athletes are trained to have (not that I'm an athlete anymore).
Here are some pics of some of my surg
