Quarterback Leads Miami to Victory After ACL Surgery

The Miami Redhawks storm the field at Yager Stadium on Saturday.  Gus Ragland, the sophomore quarterback, lead the team to a rousing fourth quarter comeback over Kent State.  When Ragland’s pass connected to Kenny Young to put the Redhawks in the lead with 1:34 on the clock, the cheers from the crowd were deafening.  Contrast that with a fateful game six months earlier when Ragland remained motionless on the turf, surrounded by concerned teammates.  It was so quiet that day that you could barely hear the spectators breathing.

Gus Ragland recalled feeling a pop in his right knee during a no-contact play.  He figured it wasn’t a big deal until Paul Eversole, Associate Athletic Trainer at Miami University, diagnosed it as a complete anterior cruciate ligament tear.  Eversole recalls Ragland being very distraught about the injury.  He then states that Gus was confident he would be back on the field in October.  That would be more than a speedy recovery by anyone’s standards.

Dr. Timothy Kremchek of Beacon Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine performed the surgery.  “It is stories like this that remind me why I do what I do,” stated Dr. Kremchek.  “Seeing an athlete work hard during recovery and return to play is the most rewarding part of my career.  Gus showed a very unique determination to get back on the field and play with his team.  The Redhawks are in for an exciting season.”

Miami football head coach Chuck Martin played a crucial role in seeing Ragland through the recovery process.  The two spoke nearly every week as Coach Martin encouraged his quarterback.  Ragland knew he was destined to be a big part of Miami’s 2016 team.  This was very evident by Ragland’s 181 passing yards in Sunday’s game.

The road to recovery wasn’t all easy, though.  For a quarterback like Ragland, who is used to daily workouts,  it was difficult to adjust to the extended time off.  Suddenly the constant running of plays, drilling, training, and all of the prep work that goes with leading a football team stopped.  He admits that some days it was nice to wake up and not work out.  Most days, though, it was hard to watch his friends and teammates practice while he sat on the sidelines.

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