Second Thoughts

Torn ACL doesn't stop Purdue QB

Purdue quarterback Elijah Sindelar threw for nine touchdowns and 784 yards in the Boilermakers’ last three games despite playing on a knee that required surgery for a torn ACL.
Purdue quarterback Elijah Sindelar threw for nine touchdowns and 784 yards in the Boilermakers’ last three games despite playing on a knee that required surgery for a torn ACL.

Purdue quarterback Elijah Sindelar's four-touchdown performance against Arizona in the Foster Farms Bowl is even more impressive considering he played the game with a torn ACL.

Purdue Coach Jeff Brohm said after Wednesday's 38-35 victory over Arizona that Sindelar initially suffered the knee injury during a Nov. 11 game against Northwestern.

"For somebody to play almost four games with that, three and a half, that's amazing," he said, according to ESPN.com. "I couldn't be prouder of his performance, but to perform with that serious of an injury? How many people can do that? It's less than 1 percent."

Brohm added Sindelar was able to talk his way into playing after the injury occurred.

"My first thing was no. There's no way he should play. I think he's had his knee operated on more than a few times. I thought if he can wear that brace and keep it stable, and if he feels like he can go, we can give it a try. I was very leery at first, but Elijah wanted to do it. We went through our trainers and doctor. He was able to pull it off."

Sindelar's performance in 2017 took off after his ACL injury. He had 2,099 yards with 18 touchdowns for the entire season, with 784 yards and 9 touchdowns coming in Purdue's final three games.

The Boilermakers had to win their last two regular-season games just to become bowl-eligible after a 4-6 start. Their victory over Arizona on Wednesday was the program's first bowl victory since 2011.

Sindelar officially capped the season Friday by having surgery to repair the torn ligament.

No objection

A Georgia attorney was allowed to postpone a court hearing in a civil case to attend the Rose Bowl on Monday after sending the judge a pleading motion about his hopes to see the Georgia Bulldogs prevail in the game.

The Savannah Morning News reported that attorney John Patrick Connell asked for the delay, explaining that his older brother had tickets and travel accommodations for the game pitting the Bulldogs against Oklahoma in a College Football Playoff semifinal in Pasadena, Calif.

"The 2018 Rose Bowl will be a momentous occasion for the Dawgs," Connell wrote in his request, according to the newspaper. He described the football game as "what will hopefully be the last stop before we play for, and win, a national championship."

Chatham County Chief Superior Court Judge Michael Karpf, a University of Georgia graduate, responded with his own tongue-in-cheek writing saying he "reluctantly" granted the lawyer's request.

"Counsel's motion is certainly enlightening," Karpf wrote, adding that Connell "made it clear to this court that a victory for the Bulldogs hinges on nothing less than the very attendance of [Connell] himself at the Rose Bowl."

The judge said Connell had to inform opposing counsel of the continuance. The judge also said in the "unfortunate happenstance that the University of Georgia does not emerge triumphant" that Connell would have to explain "why he should not be held in contempt [of court] for failing to secure a Bulldog victory through his presence in Pasadena."

Karpf said that because he did not have "relations who are so generous as to arrange a last-minute trip to Pasadena" that he will watch the game from the confines of a "couch in Savannah."

QUIZ

How many games did Purdue Coach Jeff Brohm play as an NFL quarterback and how many touchdowns did he throw?

ANSWER

Brohm played in eight NFL games and threw one touchdown pass for the San Francisco 49ers in 1996.

Sports on 12/30/2017

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