October 2, 2009

NCAA Football- Stafon Johnson is out of Surgery and Progressing

By Audrey Nolan

USC tailback Stafon Johnson underwent surgery after sustaining a dangerous throat injury in a weightlifting accident. The player was lifting weights when the bar slipped from his right hand and fell on his neck, crushing his larynx and throat. He entered the hospital in critical condition, but after a 6-hour reconstructive surgery, Johnson is now recovering well.

Johnson, who scored the victory touchdown a couple of weeks ago against Ohio, seems likely to make a full recovery, although he will not play again this season. He has needed a tracheotomy, and it is not yet clear whether he will be able to use his voice again.

At the time of the accident, the player was being spotted by the assistant coach of strength and conditioning; the head coach of strength and conditioning, Chris Carlisle, was only a few feet away. Doctors said that Johnson’s strength and athleticism probably saved his life; a person of lesser stature would likely have died.

"He's feeling good, he's functioning well and all that," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "He can't move very much because they want to keep his head and his neck very still. ... These are long, hard days for him, but he's like the commander of the Starship Enterprise with all the technology around him."

Although Johnson is expected to recover fully, doctors haven’t yet estimated a time frame. How he will progress is as yet unclear, but the first steps will involve removing the ventilator and helping him swallow; currently, the player relies on a tube in his stomach for food. In perhaps six weeks, doctors will ask him to try speaking, but even that will depend on other conditions becoming normalized.

Caroll said that he is confident in Johnson’s recovery and expects him to return. Johnson, he said, was a “spiritual leader” for the team, as well as a leader on the field for some time. The players, who respect Johnson a great deal, were very concerned about the tailback’s recovery. Many have stopped by the hospital to visit their teammate and wish him well in his recovery.

Johnson is a 5-foot-11, 210-pound senior from Compton, California, and is the Trojans' second-leading rusher and goal-line specialist. He has rushed 32 times for 157 yards this year and leads the team with five touchdowns. He entered the season with 1,395 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.

The news of Johnson’s accident is the most recent in a rash of injuries to USC players since the beginning of the season: cornerback Brian Baucham injured his left foot and knee in a freeway motorcycle accident while on his way to campus; reserve defensive back Marshall Jones is out of the season after cracking a vertebra last weekend in a game against Washington State.

But USC has also received some good news this week; two top players that were sidelined, Matt Barkley and receiver Ronald Johnson, have recovered and will return to the field.

About the Author

Audrey Nolan has been a prominent writer on daily College Football Season reviews, sports news and sports betting industry updates for many exceptional sports web sites. You may reprint this article in its full content, please note no modifications to it are accepted.