Unconfirmed Report: Speight broke a vertebra

Submitted by LGenius on
Out for the season. Per Diehard: http://www.diehardsport.com/college-football/heres-hearing-wilton-speig… Edit: I realize this story is potentially self referential, but I thought it was board material anyway, since we all don't get a chance to comb through every comment posted. Here's a link to one of umbig11's comments about Speights injury in the forums: http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/penn-state-8pm-abc#comment-4658903

Hail Harbo

October 2nd, 2017 at 8:55 AM ^

Mike Utley.  Not so close, well, to my home it is, between collar bone and rib fractures Tony Romo required spinal surgery.  But yeah, point taken, not many spinal fractures of any sort from any type of hit relative to the number of injuries to the extremities.

OMG Shirtless

October 2nd, 2017 at 8:48 AM ^

According to multiple message board posters on Scout.com and MGoBlog, the redshirt junior broke his vertebrae and is expected to miss the remainder of the 2017 season.

gbdub

October 2nd, 2017 at 12:08 PM ^

Non-displaced fractures can be hard to see on the initial x-ray, but new bone (as it starts to heal) shows up brightly. So sometimes the initial diagnosis can be wrong, with only a follow-up scan revealing the fracture. Happened to me with a broken wrist.

Jon06

October 2nd, 2017 at 8:49 AM ^

As I said on the liveblog repeatedly, a hit like that broke my dad's neck when he was in college. He was hit like that by a 180 pound guy. If the reports are true, they aren't surprising at all. Hopefully he makes a full recovery.

Jon06

October 2nd, 2017 at 9:42 AM ^

He was told never to play contact sports again, since you couldn't know if the healed vertebrae were as strong as they used to be. Hopefully the diagnosis is wrong, and if not, hopefully the prognosis is much better and different for Speight, with all the support he'll have access to.

(Making this a separate post instead of updating the earlier one, in case people want to downvote this one for being dramatic.)

huntmich

October 2nd, 2017 at 11:20 AM ^

There have been a lot of advancements in spinal surgery since your dad was in college. If speight wanted to continue playing sports they have a lot of options for guaranteeing that the vertebrae was secure. It could mean surgery and he would certainly be out for the season, but he would be fully ready to go by spring camp, if it was a vertebral fracture, or a pars fracture, or something of the sort.

Signed, a medical device engineer who has designed 3 fusion systems.

youn2948

October 2nd, 2017 at 10:13 AM ^

Yeah when I saw that hit I thought, "Lucky he didn't break his back, that was an egregious hit".

Welp so he did.

That Purdue guy is such cheap shot dick.  I guess having to play at Purdue under Brohm may be punishment enough.  Based upon that XFL stuff I won't be shcoked if he makes them play injured through concussions.

m_go_T

October 2nd, 2017 at 8:49 AM ^

"According to message board posters on Scout and Mgoblog..."

Now message board posters post a link to a sports website to substantiate unsubstantiated rumors.

billybrown

October 2nd, 2017 at 8:51 AM ^

Broke a disc in my back playing in high school. Obviously not the same as a vertebrae but Damn tough injury to sustain. Hope Wilton recovers and comes back strong.

UMProud

October 2nd, 2017 at 8:52 AM ^

While still in the gossip/rumor category this is shitty news if it turns out to be accurate.  The B1G should really review the game film because I think the Purdue DC had his guys off the leash for scalps.

Praying for a speedy and 100% recovery for Speight.

RedRum

October 2nd, 2017 at 11:44 AM ^

Pray for a recovery for Speight, regardless if he performs for UM on the field. I don't think this thread is the place for evaluating O'Korn.

On Thursday, Brain said he didn't think the hit was "that bad." I totally disagree.  The Purdue guy spread his arms and ensured all his weight would be put upon a player on the ground.  If it was a running, can stop, fall into the guy, that is different.  Purdue placed his weight for maximum effect. It is difficult for me not to get heated up about this - I am suprised Brain Cook isn't more upset.  

My comments stands WITHOUT the helmet to helmet contact that initiated the hit.  I would stand by the above if the contact started on the shoulder; that it was a head to head further cements an already strong opinion.

Alas, I hope to see Speight playing soon. If that is not medically possible, thank you for your efforts. You are a true Michigan Man - your support of our University does not end upon injury.

Go Blue!