What was supposed to be a special, historic night for Ball State football is now just a little bittersweet. On Saturday night, Ball State won 42-20 at Indiana, not only improving their record to 4-0, but also recording the program’s first win over a BCS school in 43 tries.
However, in the first half of the victory, star receiver Dante Love, who came into the game as the nation’s leading receiver, suffered a broken spine and a spinal cord injury.
As a result, Love’s football playing days are likely over. It’s a big loss for Ball State, as Love was Nate Davis’ favorite target, and he ends his career with 199 catches for 2,778 yards, and 20 receiving touchdowns, with receptions in 37 straight games. By the end of the season, he’d have broken the school records for catches and yards, and he’d have finished as one of the leaders in touchdown catches and touchdowns. He was also on the radar as an NFL prospect, and could’ve been drafted in at least the middle rounds.
On the bright side, and most importantly, while his loss on the field is a huge one, and as unfortunate as it is that a promising career looks to be over, Love is expected to make a full recovery and be able to live just fine, which is fantastic news.
Love wasn’t the only player who suffered a scary injury on Saturday night. Washington State QB Gary Rogers also suffered a spinal fracture in the Cougars’ 48-9 win over Portland State, and while he was able to walk out of the hospital on Sunday, a three-to-four month recovery period means the senior’s Washington State career is done.
Also, South Florida linebacker Brouce Mompremier went down in the third quarter of USF’s 17-9 win over Florida International after a hard collision with a teammate, and he had to be airlifted to an area hospital. Fortunately, he was cleared of any severe spinal injury, and he should be able to return after missing a couple of games.
In case we didn’t already know that football is a dangerous game, despite all of the helmets, the pads, and the rules designed to protect players, these injuries serve as quite a reminder. We like to rail on athletes for not giving their best and going their hardest, or for being able to make their way by ‘playing a game,’ and while some players might warrant the criticism, the ones that do give it their all are certainly risking their well-being every time they step on that field.
