JoePa has a broken leg
Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:58 pm
does that mean they are gonna have to put him down?
Tough break (pun intended) for the old man.
Tough break (pun intended) for the old man.
Penn State football coach Joe Paterno broke his left tibia and tore a pair of ligaments in his left knee following a sideline collision in the Nittany Lions' 13-3 loss to Wisconsin Saturday. While the initial thought was to take a wait-and-see approach to treatment, on Sunday the coach opted for surgery to repair the injuries.
“When they presented the options to him, they said this would be a quicker recovery than just rehabbing,” said Guido D'Elia, PSU's director of communications for football. “Once he was satisfied he knew everything he needed to know out of the Wisconsin game and about [this week's opponent] Temple, he said, 'Let's go.' It was like the sooner, the better.”
According to a Penn State press release, Paterno sustained a tibial plateau fracture and tore the medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments. Team doctor Wayne Sebastianelli performed the surgery on Paterno, which involved inserting several screws into his leg.
Paterno's leg should be able to bear weight in about six weeks. In the meantime, he has already been fitted for a brace.
Paterno is expected to leave the hospital sometime Monday afternoon.