Ball State's Dante Love's football career likely over.

[POND_OF_RED]

Too bad. He was exciting to watch from the few games I watched him play. Definitely would have had a career in the NFL.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3602536
Ball State receiver Dante Love is expected to "live a normal and happy life" according to a statement released by the university, but he probably won't ever play football again.

Love suffered a cervical spine fracture and a spinal cord injury during the first quarter of Saturday's game against Indiana.

He was taken immediately to Bloomington Hospital, where he underwent a five-hour surgery. Ball State released a statement Sunday afternoon that Love was able to move his arms and legs.


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"Everything went as the doctors thought, and even a little better," Ball State coach Brady Hoke said. "At this point, the biggest thing was just to relieve pressure and all that stuff on the spinal cord."

Love was injured when Indiana cornerback Chris Adkins hit Love helmet-to-helmet after Love made a short catch. Love fell to the ground, briefly unconscious, and lay motionless for 15 minutes. He felt numbness in his arms and legs as he was strapped to a backboard. He was taken off the field in a golf cart.

He has since been transferred to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for further evaluation. There was no timetable Monday on his rehabilitation. Hoke said Love was expected to be moved out of the critical care unit later Monday, according to The Associated Press.

The replay was difficult for Love's teammates to watch during film sessions.

"At first, I watched it back-to-back a couple of times," running back MiQuale Lewis said, according to AP. "After that, I just couldn't watch it again. It was just too hard."

Tight end Darius Hill said Love's health was the most important thing to him.

"It's been pretty tough knowing he's not going to be with us, but he's always going to be a part of this team," Hill said, according to AP. "It definitely takes a lot [of the concern] off, knowing that he's going to be all right down the road."

Love entered Saturday's game as the nation's leader in receiving yards per game at 144.3. He also was ranked second in all-purpose running.

Love, who was the Cardinals' most versatile player, finishes his career ranked second in school history in receptions (199), yards receiving (2,778) and is tied for fourth in TD receptions (20).

He also holds the Ball State record for kickoff-return yards in a career (2,129) and is tied with Dante Ridgeway for the most 100-yard games in school history (11).

[DaKCMan AP]

That really sucks. His skills were SICK!

[angelo]

Jason Whitlock must be just sick. This is his Alma Mater and he tagged this guy at the beginning of the season.

It is a loss he was very exciting to watch on the field.

Ang

[Redrum_69]

dammit carl

[El Jefe]

Originally Posted by Redrum_69

dammit carl

Your Lame. That sucks Love was a very good NFL prospect, it's sad to see this sort of thing happen.

[FAX]

What a shame. Helmet to helmet, too.

Here's to a full and complete recovery. It's amazing what they can do with spinal cord injuries these days, though. A very close friend of mine's daughter was riding in a car which went off the interstate, flipped, and struck an overpass abutment. She suffered a broken neck. At first, the outlook was bleak, but she is now living a completely normal life - walking, driving, doing everything a young girl would typically do. Not so long ago, such an outcome would have been unthinkable. I hope this kid has the same experience.

FAX

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by FAX

What a shame. Helmet to helmet, too.

Looked clean to me.

He got low, took his head across the ballcarrier's chest and wrapped up. It was a damn near textbook tackle, IMO.

Love just got unlucky. He tried to get leverage and the other kid did the same. They collided at just the wrong angle and he got hurt. You'll see far more vicous hits than that every weekend.

It is a bad deal, but I don't think there was anything dirty about it.

[Bob Dole]

[chiefscafan]

yeah i watched him against navy so close to your dream that's gotta suck

[Inspector]

Sad to see this happen to anyone, especially a kid. Wow.

[Light]

*pause*

[Saulbadguy]

tk13 - thoughts?

[tk13]

I was at the game Saturday. And it obviously felt like the air came out of the balloon... but it was awesome to see the team rally together and the offense honestly didn't miss a beat, if anything we played better and pretty much dominated IU the rest of the game. I don't want to compare it to the Patriots... but that's just kinda how we played, if you know what I mean... not any one WR dominating, just spreading it around to 4-5 guys, everyone pitching in to help, and it worked out. Hopefully they can keep doing that, we have some WR's with talent, but of course nobody has the explosiveness he did. It helps to have Nate Davis though, he was awesome... his numbers weren't amazing but he made so many clutch plays and made a couple throws that were sick.

At least Dante will be able to live a normal life, but I have to think how much it stinks that he was at least going to be drafted as slot-WR/KR type player and probably would've been good at it, and now he'll never get to do it. It's sad.

[triple]

very sad. but you know, even a lot of great athletes don't make it in pro football. it's good that he can live a normal life, and maybe through this transition he can find another purpose and go on to be a success in other areas of life.