Last night I blogged about how frustrated I was after seeing Oregon lose 34-24 to Arizona, thus removing my beloved Ducks from the short list of teams competing for a national football championship.
Well today, that frustration has turned to sympathy and respect for Dennis Dixon, our quarterback who went down awkwardly on his knee and didn’t return to the game. As it turns out, he has a torn ACL and will require surgery:
Dennis Dixon completely tore the ACL in his left knee in Oregon?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s win over Arizona State on Nov. 3, and convinced Oregon?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s coaches and doctors to let him try and play in the Arizona game last night. After leaving last night?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢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.
If you saw any of the game last night, it was amazing to see what Dixon was able to do given the circumstances. The guy ran for a 38-yard touchdown on a torn ACL. He nearly had a second, when his knee gave out for good.
The only reason I can think of why someone would continue to go all out with a significant injury like that, is for their teammates and fans. Dennis Dixon knew the national title was within reach and wanted to do everything he could to ensure everyone who loves the Ducks could enjoy a title run.
Now that run, and Dixon’s career at Oregon, is over. We got to see him play for two good years, and even though he faltered down the stretch last year, it’s an amazing story how he was able to come back, put the team on his shoulders and put a team that was picked to finish no higher than 6th in the Pac-10 into contention for a national title.
I’ll tip my hat to Dennis Dixon, and while doing so, realize the season is not lost and we have a legitimate shot at the Rose Bowl.
Go Ducks!
I understand your side but also see it from a different perspective. Maybe Dixon wanted to play for himself, he obviously loves the game to play injured and wanted to prove to himself that he wasn’t injured. As an athlete myself and being in a similar but less serious situation, what I explained may sound crazy but in the mind of a determined athlete is is completly true. But as always in life, hindsight is twenty-twenty, so I’m sure if he could replay the moment and just sit out he would. But you have to give him some credit for trying to continue to play, thats determination.