“You never think that someone might die”

From goducks.com, here is a short film about Ed Reinhardt junior, a Colorado tight end who suffered a traumatic brain injury during a game against Oregon September 15, 1984. Running after a catch over the middle in the fourth quarter of a 27-20 game, he collided with two Duck players and collapsed near midfield. 

Reinhardt, the leading receiver in the country going into the game, was in a coma for 62 days, the first half of it at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eugene. The Oregon community embraced him, supporting him and the Colorado family during his recovery.

In 2012, the former tight revisited Autzen for the first time since the injury, receiving a warm ovation from the Oregon crowd. Anne Peterson of the Associated Press wrote, “Now 47, Reinhardt’s right side remains paralyzed. He walks with a limp and speaks mostly short sentences — but that’s something no one ever expected him to be able to do. He travels the country with his father, Ed Reinhardt Sr., passing along his inspirational story.” (Don Ryan, AP photo)

The cruelty and danger is another side of football. Reinhardt’s inspirational story and the Oregon community’s continued support for him is the most important one.