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Did yall know about this. I stumbled upon it today. I am shocked, it takes a lot of heart to keep playing this season.
Article is credited to Chris Low of Tennessean.com
Wednesday, 11/16/05
Mitchell plays despite torn ACL
Injured knee in season opener vs. UAB
By CHRIS LOW
Staff Writer
KNOXVILLE Jason Mitchell has given new meaning to playing for the "T" on the side of the helmet.
He's risked it all to play for Tennessee in a season that hasn't gone as planned for anyone in orange. His only regret is that the Vols' record isn't better.
Mitchell, a senior linebacker, revealed yesterday that he has played most of this season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
The injury was initially diagnosed as a sprained medial collateral ligament following the season opener against Alabama-Birmingham. He continued to play the next three games with the aid of a knee brace.
When his knee didn't get any better, he underwent an MRI that also showed a torn ACL. Mitchell said he found out the Thursday before the Georgia game on Oct. 8.
He was advised by coaches, doctors and teammates to undergo season-ending surgery right then.
Mitchell, while realizing he was jeopardizing his NFL career, simply couldn't walk away.
"I didn't want to leave on somebody else's terms," Mitchell said. "I wanted to leave when I felt I was ready. I wasn't ready to fold up the tent my senior year, even though it could have hurt me in the long run, which it probably might.
"I just enjoyed the time and loved it. My love for the game, my love for my teammates and my love for playing for this university kept me playing."
Saturday's game against Vanderbilt (11:30 a.m. kickoff at Neyland Stadium) will be Mitchell's farewell in a Tennessee uniform.
He's decided to go ahead with the season-ending surgery and won't play against Kentucky or in a bowl game if the Vols qualify.
He'll fly to California on Sunday and have surgery on Monday. Dr. Arthur Ting, who performed both of UT linebacker Kevin Simon's reconstructive knee surgeries, will do Mitchell's procedure.
"There are times I catch myself getting all emotional about the situation, because I made sure I pushed myself hard enough to play in this game," said Mitchell, a two-year starter from Abbeville, La. "So this will be the last time I run through the 'T,' the last time I get acknowledged, the last time everybody gets to see me, the last time I get to practice.
"All that stuff meant a lot to me, just playing. Being that this is the end, it's kind of scary. But I know it's time for me to move on with the next chapter of my life. I'm still just not ready to accept it."
Mitchell also knows that he might never play football again. It's a risk he accepted when he decided to play on this season.
His rationale was that there were no guarantees at the next level anyway, and his goal was always to play college football.
He said some people went as far as to tell him that he was stupid. But in his heart, Mitchell knew it's what he wanted.
"I was like, 'This game right now is bigger than the NFL,' " Mitchell said. "Even though we lost a game, even though we weren't able to go to a championship game, it's still living out a dream that was bigger than the NFL.
"My decision hasn't changed. I just got to the point now where I can finally walk away. I can finally play the game and walk away from it being comfortable. Before, I couldn't do that."
Once it was known he had an ACL tear, Mitchell and his mother met with members of UT's medical staff and were explained all of the risks and options.
Keith Clements, UT's head trainer, said Mitchell's ACL tear was different than the ones suffered by Richie Gandy, Montario Hardesty or Simon, in that Mitchell's knee was still stable.
"He'd shown that he could be functional on it," Clements said. "Otherwise, this never would have been an option. We gave him all of the information, and he and his mother made the decision."
Even as the Vols saw their losing streak swell to four games, Mitchell said he never second-guessed his decision.
He said a moment on the practice field with defensive coordinator John Chavis a few weeks ago only reinforced that he'd done the right thing.
"He had just gotten on one of my teammates about doing something wrong," Mitchell recounted. "I giggled and said, 'Chief, this is why I couldn't walk away.'
"Just being around it, some of the things that go on out there, I couldn't just walk away from it. It just meant so much to me to be playing. That's why I continued playing each week."
Mitchell said he's probably only been somewhere between 50 and 70 percent these last few weeks. His snaps have dwindled as he's lost speed and maneuverability.
"It has been hard on me watching him because I know he's about 70 percent of what he was before," Chavis said. "He's done it because he wanted to, and he has helped this football team. He's a tough guy and has given a lot to this program."
The recovery and rehabilitation period from the ACL surgery will prevent Mitchell from participating in the NFL combine and any workouts in the winter. It might be a stretch for him to participate in any of the camps next spring.
"If Saturday is my last game well, I can look back at my college career and say that I enjoyed it," Mitchell said.
Simon said Mitchell is one of the most unselfish people he's ever known.
"You have to take your hat off to him," Simon said. "I could not have done it. For him to go out there and be out there for us just shows his heart."
Article is credited to Chris Low of Tennessean.com
Wednesday, 11/16/05
Mitchell plays despite torn ACL
Injured knee in season opener vs. UAB
By CHRIS LOW
Staff Writer
KNOXVILLE Jason Mitchell has given new meaning to playing for the "T" on the side of the helmet.
He's risked it all to play for Tennessee in a season that hasn't gone as planned for anyone in orange. His only regret is that the Vols' record isn't better.
Mitchell, a senior linebacker, revealed yesterday that he has played most of this season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
The injury was initially diagnosed as a sprained medial collateral ligament following the season opener against Alabama-Birmingham. He continued to play the next three games with the aid of a knee brace.
When his knee didn't get any better, he underwent an MRI that also showed a torn ACL. Mitchell said he found out the Thursday before the Georgia game on Oct. 8.
He was advised by coaches, doctors and teammates to undergo season-ending surgery right then.
Mitchell, while realizing he was jeopardizing his NFL career, simply couldn't walk away.
"I didn't want to leave on somebody else's terms," Mitchell said. "I wanted to leave when I felt I was ready. I wasn't ready to fold up the tent my senior year, even though it could have hurt me in the long run, which it probably might.
"I just enjoyed the time and loved it. My love for the game, my love for my teammates and my love for playing for this university kept me playing."
Saturday's game against Vanderbilt (11:30 a.m. kickoff at Neyland Stadium) will be Mitchell's farewell in a Tennessee uniform.
He's decided to go ahead with the season-ending surgery and won't play against Kentucky or in a bowl game if the Vols qualify.
He'll fly to California on Sunday and have surgery on Monday. Dr. Arthur Ting, who performed both of UT linebacker Kevin Simon's reconstructive knee surgeries, will do Mitchell's procedure.
"There are times I catch myself getting all emotional about the situation, because I made sure I pushed myself hard enough to play in this game," said Mitchell, a two-year starter from Abbeville, La. "So this will be the last time I run through the 'T,' the last time I get acknowledged, the last time everybody gets to see me, the last time I get to practice.
"All that stuff meant a lot to me, just playing. Being that this is the end, it's kind of scary. But I know it's time for me to move on with the next chapter of my life. I'm still just not ready to accept it."
Mitchell also knows that he might never play football again. It's a risk he accepted when he decided to play on this season.
His rationale was that there were no guarantees at the next level anyway, and his goal was always to play college football.
He said some people went as far as to tell him that he was stupid. But in his heart, Mitchell knew it's what he wanted.
"I was like, 'This game right now is bigger than the NFL,' " Mitchell said. "Even though we lost a game, even though we weren't able to go to a championship game, it's still living out a dream that was bigger than the NFL.
"My decision hasn't changed. I just got to the point now where I can finally walk away. I can finally play the game and walk away from it being comfortable. Before, I couldn't do that."
Once it was known he had an ACL tear, Mitchell and his mother met with members of UT's medical staff and were explained all of the risks and options.
Keith Clements, UT's head trainer, said Mitchell's ACL tear was different than the ones suffered by Richie Gandy, Montario Hardesty or Simon, in that Mitchell's knee was still stable.
"He'd shown that he could be functional on it," Clements said. "Otherwise, this never would have been an option. We gave him all of the information, and he and his mother made the decision."
Even as the Vols saw their losing streak swell to four games, Mitchell said he never second-guessed his decision.
He said a moment on the practice field with defensive coordinator John Chavis a few weeks ago only reinforced that he'd done the right thing.
"He had just gotten on one of my teammates about doing something wrong," Mitchell recounted. "I giggled and said, 'Chief, this is why I couldn't walk away.'
"Just being around it, some of the things that go on out there, I couldn't just walk away from it. It just meant so much to me to be playing. That's why I continued playing each week."
Mitchell said he's probably only been somewhere between 50 and 70 percent these last few weeks. His snaps have dwindled as he's lost speed and maneuverability.
"It has been hard on me watching him because I know he's about 70 percent of what he was before," Chavis said. "He's done it because he wanted to, and he has helped this football team. He's a tough guy and has given a lot to this program."
The recovery and rehabilitation period from the ACL surgery will prevent Mitchell from participating in the NFL combine and any workouts in the winter. It might be a stretch for him to participate in any of the camps next spring.
"If Saturday is my last game well, I can look back at my college career and say that I enjoyed it," Mitchell said.
Simon said Mitchell is one of the most unselfish people he's ever known.
"You have to take your hat off to him," Simon said. "I could not have done it. For him to go out there and be out there for us just shows his heart."
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