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09-12-2003, 08:58 AM
Green in intensive care after hitGreen in intensive care after hit
Thursday, September 11, 2003
By DARREN COOPER
Former Montclair High School football standout Gary Green suffered a spinal injury in his second collegiate game at the University of New Haven and underwent surgery Saturday night.
Green, who helped lead Montclair to a sectional title in 2002 as a defensive lineman and tight end, was running down the field covering a first-quarter kickoff as New Haven met West Chester at Dodds Stadium. During the play, Green was blocked by a West Chester player and stayed down on the field for 15 minutes before he was taken off the field in an ambulance.
"The West Chester player wasn't dirty, it was a clean hit, part of the game," said New Haven Sports Information Director Jason Sullivan. "He just hit him wrong."
Green, a freshman for the Chargers, was a third-string defensive end and playing on the kickoff coverage teams for New Haven, a Division II school.
According to sources, Green underwent surgery Saturday night at Yale-New Haven Hospital to fix a dislodged vertebrae in his neck that was pinching his spinal cord and causing paralysis. A bone fragment was taken from his leg and fused to replace the broken vertebrae and the spinal cord was realigned.
As of Tuesday, Green was in the Neurology Intensive Care unit at the hospital and there were preliminary reports that he was regaining feeling in his extremities. The days after a surgery like this are vital as the swelling goes down.
Montclair High School head football Coach Ed Lebida, and Montclair PRCA Director Lonnie Brandon (Green's mother works for PRCA) visited Green yesterday at the hospital, as did the president and vice president of the university. His parents and members of his family are also nearby.
"He is a special kid," said Lebida. "I was telling my wife about what happened and she said he was one of my all-time favorites and he probably is. When somebody works that hard, you have to like him and have a special place in your heart for him.
"I told the team early in the year that he would be the most difficult player we would have to replace. Everyone looked at Alvin [Bowen], but probably the heart of the team was Gary in terms of his leadership and work ethic both in the classroom and on the field."
Green's younger brother, KJ, is the starting quarterback for Montclair High School this season. KJ has stayed in Montclair and is expected to play in the Mounties' season-opener with Paramus on Saturday.
"He is very concerned for his brother, but he seems to be OK," said Lebida.
The hospital would only release Green's condition as critical and not confirm or deny any details.
6038
http://www.montclairtimes.com/page.php?page=6038
Thursday, September 11, 2003
By DARREN COOPER
Former Montclair High School football standout Gary Green suffered a spinal injury in his second collegiate game at the University of New Haven and underwent surgery Saturday night.
Green, who helped lead Montclair to a sectional title in 2002 as a defensive lineman and tight end, was running down the field covering a first-quarter kickoff as New Haven met West Chester at Dodds Stadium. During the play, Green was blocked by a West Chester player and stayed down on the field for 15 minutes before he was taken off the field in an ambulance.
"The West Chester player wasn't dirty, it was a clean hit, part of the game," said New Haven Sports Information Director Jason Sullivan. "He just hit him wrong."
Green, a freshman for the Chargers, was a third-string defensive end and playing on the kickoff coverage teams for New Haven, a Division II school.
According to sources, Green underwent surgery Saturday night at Yale-New Haven Hospital to fix a dislodged vertebrae in his neck that was pinching his spinal cord and causing paralysis. A bone fragment was taken from his leg and fused to replace the broken vertebrae and the spinal cord was realigned.
As of Tuesday, Green was in the Neurology Intensive Care unit at the hospital and there were preliminary reports that he was regaining feeling in his extremities. The days after a surgery like this are vital as the swelling goes down.
Montclair High School head football Coach Ed Lebida, and Montclair PRCA Director Lonnie Brandon (Green's mother works for PRCA) visited Green yesterday at the hospital, as did the president and vice president of the university. His parents and members of his family are also nearby.
"He is a special kid," said Lebida. "I was telling my wife about what happened and she said he was one of my all-time favorites and he probably is. When somebody works that hard, you have to like him and have a special place in your heart for him.
"I told the team early in the year that he would be the most difficult player we would have to replace. Everyone looked at Alvin [Bowen], but probably the heart of the team was Gary in terms of his leadership and work ethic both in the classroom and on the field."
Green's younger brother, KJ, is the starting quarterback for Montclair High School this season. KJ has stayed in Montclair and is expected to play in the Mounties' season-opener with Paramus on Saturday.
"He is very concerned for his brother, but he seems to be OK," said Lebida.
The hospital would only release Green's condition as critical and not confirm or deny any details.
6038
http://www.montclairtimes.com/page.php?page=6038