Jeff Gettys limped off the field Saturday, his season over with a torn ACL. But before the night was over, he made good use of his remaining healthy knee.
Gettys, a junior linebacker and special teams player with the Missouri Tigers, suffered a season-ending injury while covering a kickoff late in the fourth quarter of a 27-20 victory against Bowling Green.
Gettys has already begun exercises to strengthen his knee, which did not have a meniscus tear. Surgery will be in 1-2 weeks when swelling subsides, and rehab will last 3-6 months.
“I was obviously devastated, but I was kind of relieved I didn’t tear my meniscus,” Gettys said Monday afternoon. “We have such a great medical staff here that has dealt with these injuries before. They know exactly what to do step by step. I knew I’d be in good hands.”
The injury occurred on the ensuing kickoff following Derrick Washington’s 1-yard run with 5 minutes, 38 seconds left that gave Missouri its first lead. Gettys said he was attempting to shed a Bowling Green blocker when his knee buckled.
“My left foot was planted in the ground and my knee just gave out. I tried to take a step and my foot was still in the ground,” Gettys said. “I felt it shift and went down immediately. I tried to crawl off the field, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen. The pain was just unbearable.”
Team doctors delivered an early diagnosis of the ACL tear on the sidelines. He got the official news following a MRI on Sunday.
Gettys, who said he has not yet discussed the possibility of a medical redshirt with his coaches, has leaned on his teammates for support. He has had conversations with several players – including Danario Alexander, Kurtis Gregory and Jon Gissinger – who have returned from knee injuries.
“We’ve had quite a few ACL injuries on our team,” Gettys said. “My teammates have given me lots of support and told me if I had any questions, they are there for me.”
His teammates were there for the highlight of what was a disappointing night. After hobbling back to the tailgate area where his friends and family were hanging out, Gettys was helped down to his right knee and proposed to his girlfriend, Jessica Neal. She said yes.
“It was kind of bittersweet, but it did help out the day,” Gettys said.