Dennis Dixon Played Despite ACL Tear
Dennis Dixon completely tore the ACL in his left knee in Oregon’s win over Arizona State on Nov. 3, and convinced Oregon’s coaches and doctors to let him try and play in the Arizona game last night. After leaving last night’s loss in the first quarter when the knee faltered again, Dixon will now have season-ending surgery, bringing his UO career to a close. That was the word on a conference call featuring UO coach Mike Bellotti and team physician Dr. Bob Crist this evening.
Dixon convinced the staff to keep the severity of his injury from the public and even his teammates. Doctors were encouraged by the lack of swelling in the knee after discovering the torn ACL in an MRI on Nov. 4, and Dixon was able to practice despite the injury. He was allowed to play last night with the understanding that he would be pulled from the game if he experienced further instability.
It takes a tremendous competitor to have the guts to even try and play through an injury like that. But to play so damn well? He had a 39 yard touchdown run on a torn ACL. My God.
I don’t really know what else to say… I just hope a man of his heart and ability can fully recover and find success at the next level (or, more likely, in baseball).
Well … it helps.
Yes, Sean, because you can only be critical of someone if you are better than they are.
Hey Wally…why don’t you get out there and throw us some touchdown passes, bud?
Unfortunately, Brady Leaf couldn’t move a loaf of bread on the kitchen table let alone a move his football team down the field. Dennis’ loss was effectively the end of the ducks season. The team is still a great team, its just that dennis was THAT good, and without his leadership on offense, forget it… I think Mike Belotti should have played the young freshman instead of Leaf two weeks ago when Dixon came out– get the kid warmed up. Brady Leaf has had his chance- multiple times– and looked more rusty than a nail in a picket fence built in 1900.
I tore my acl and wasn’t about to play again cuz I know it would have blown out. Dixon was courageous doin that but also rash because he just tore cartledge on top of his ACL. And the recovery will be slower, more painful, and slower. Ha I know cuz I blew it out a second time the first time I tore an ACL. Yeaaaaa
David Lee Roth would have jumped over the defensive line and run balls-out towards the cheerleaders, who would hopefully be behind the opposing end zone.
No, it wasn’t so much a rockstar kick as a nervous tic. Leaf probably does that every time he feels oncoming failure.
Maybe it was really David Lee Roth in disguise.
Ideally, handing the ball to Stewart before cowering and weeping.
That stupid kick that Leaf did before every snap? Still in my nightmares.
Leaf-based game plan: cowering in the endzone weeping.
Yeah, what Dixon did was impressive. What Belotti did was not. He knew Dixon would be playing on a serious injury but did not appear to have any kind of Leaf-based (or other) game plan lined up in the extremely foreseeable event that Dixon went down.
What a stud Dixon is. I hated to see his Heisman and a chance at the BCS title game go down the drain like that.
CJ, I couldnt agree more at how dumb the Arizona fans are, they have no souls.
There was a crazy Japanese guy on the rugby team last year who played half of the season with a dislocated collarbone, but still … playing with a torn ACL is pretty hardcore.
Oh, and a big “fuck you” to the Arizona fans. First, for cheering like assholes when Dixon went down, and second for calling the game an “upset.” Beating an offense led by Brady Leaf with a twisted ankle is not an upset.
I was talking to the political director of NBC News tonight, my former boss, huge college football fan, a ‘Canes fan who’s watching other teams this year — and he expressed utmost respect for Dixon, and feels terrible about what’s happened. He thought would have been a great leader in the South, where he naturally believes All True Football occurs.
To take nothing away from Dixon, it’s not terribly surprising a player would want to play through injury, especially a team leader. But I’m still grateful.
And: Clemens’ late-season injury, and again with Dixon? Christ. We are cursed. (My former boss also thought Phil Knight’s money may be the source of a curse as well.) I fully expect Dixon to be starting for the New York Jets in three years. He can play baseball later.
Oh, and: Okay, NOW play the frosh.