Quarterback Leads Miami to Victory After ACL Surgery
October 24, 2016
The Miami Redhawks storm the field at Yager Stadium on Saturday. Â Gus Ragland, the sophomore quarterback, lead the team to a rousing fourth quarter comeback over Kent State. Â 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. Â Contrast that with a fateful game six months earlier when Ragland remained motionless on the turf, surrounded by concerned teammates. Â 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. Â 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. Â Eversole recalls Ragland being very distraught about the injury. Â He then states that Gus was confident he would be back on the field in October. Â That would be more than a speedy recovery by anyone’s standards.
Dr. Timothy Kremchek of Beacon Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine performed the surgery. Â “It is stories like this that remind me why I do what I do,” stated Dr. Kremchek. Â “Seeing an athlete work hard during recovery and return to play is the most rewarding part of my career. Â Gus showed a very unique determination to get back on the field and play with his team. Â 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. Â The two spoke nearly every week as Coach Martin encouraged his quarterback. Â Ragland knew he was destined to be a big part of Miami’s 2016 team. Â This was very evident by Ragland’s 181 passing yards in Sunday’s game.
The road to recovery wasn’t all easy, though. Â For a quarterback like Ragland, who is used to daily workouts, Â it was difficult to adjust to the extended time off. Â Suddenly the constant running of plays, drilling, training, and all of the prep work that goes with leading a football team stopped. Â He admits that some days it was nice to wake up and not work out. Â Most days, though, it was hard to watch his friends and teammates practice while he sat on the sidelines.