Redskins medical staff surround Joe Theismann after the Redskins QB broke his leg after a hit by Lawrence Taylor in a 1985 game. (Nate Fine/WireImage.com)
Not many people can imagine the pain that Louisville player Kevin Ware was in after suffering a horrifying injury, breaking his leg on Sunday during the Cardinals’ 85-63 win over Duke to advance to the Final Four.
But another former athlete who had an almost identical injury, former Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, called Ware on Sunday to see how he was doing.
Theismann broke his leg after being sacked by Giants linebackers Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson in 1985, which many people saw as it was on “Monday Night Football.” The injury was so bad that it was voted the “Most Shocking Moment in NFL History” by an ESPN poll.
Ware, who landed awkwardly on his right leg after jumping to contest a shot, had to be removed on a stretcher and taken to a Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis where he spent the night after having surgery. Coach Rick Pitino and other Louisville coaching and staff members spent the night at the hospital, presenting Ware with the Midwest Regional Championship trophy.
“He was real excited about (the trophy),” Pitino said on a conference call “I said to him, `You want me to bring it back or stay with you?’ He said, `It’s staying with me.’ I said, `All right, just make sure you don’t lose it.'”
A Bronx native, Ware went to high school in Atlanta, where his Cardinals will play Saturday in the Final Four and hope to win the Championship for their injured teammate. He was walking on crutches Monday, and also received many well wishes via phone and Twitter, including Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who called Pitino on Monday to ask about Ware.
With AP