Sports

Football Player Loses Part of Finger During Game, Plays On

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Virginia Tech left guard Greg Nosal earned tough-guy points on Saturday, postponing the reattachment of a torn-off tip of his left pinkie to keep playing.

Turns out, he had no idea how bad he was hurt for a few plays.

Nosal said Monday night that he had missed a block early on the play and then quarterback Tyrod Taylor started scrambling. He said that was when he “went to crack back on the defensive end and my pinkie got caught in his facemask. And I just felt like it was a really bad cut.”

Nosal said he spent the rest of the series squeezing his hand between plays, trying to apply pressure to the wound, then looked down and saw that his glove was covered in blood.

As he trotted off at the end of the series, “I take my glove off and I look down and I see my bone sticking out. I immediately ran over to (trainer Mike) Goforth. And I was like, ‘Will you guys tape this up?’ And he grabbed my arm and ran me into the locker room.”

Goforth asked Nosal where it happened on the field, and Nosal didn’t understand why.

“Finally, as were walking to the X-ray room, I’m like, ‘Why do they want to know? Did my finger fall off?‘ And he’s like, ‘I’ll tell you when you’re laying down.’”

The coaches wanted to find the severed tip of Nosal’s finger, and after they ran out onto the field looking for it, he suggested it might still be in his glove. It was, and after team surgeon Marc Seigel determined it could be reattached, they gave Nosal a choice:

Let us do it now, or we’ll put the tip on ice, tape you up and you can play again.

The 6-foot-6, 293-pound redshirt junior decided to play, and with help froma pain killers, rejoined his team in the second half and played into the fourth quarter.

The finger tip was stitched back on in the fourth quarter, after the pain medication had started to wear off. The Hokies led 31-7 and were substituting liberally in a 45-21 victory.

“You talk about a tough guy,” Hokies coach Frank Beamer said Monday. “For him to continue to play, it says a lot about him and what his effort for this football team is.”

As for Nosal, he’s been surprised the injury has gotten so much attention.

“I guess it’s a big deal if your pinkie got ripped off,” he said.

Comments (39)

  • BeckFan1964
    Posted on October 13, 2010 at 4:05pm

    Way to go tough guy!

    Report Post » BeckFan1964  
  • burnteye86
    Posted on October 13, 2010 at 3:17am

    I knew a guy once who got one leg and both arms ripped off during a game and kept playing. He was a full back and scored twelve touchdowns hopping on one leg and holding the ball with his teeth. He was one tough SOB

    Report Post » burnteye86  
  • Red Neckerson
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 11:49pm

    If I would have been the coach the trainer who allowed this young man back into the game would be fired. There is a limit to sensibility. An injury of this magnitude could easily become infected or septic and cost this young man to have the rest of his finger amputated or worse spread through his hand. This could even lead to the loss of his hand. Bad choice team doc and trainer!

    There is a young high school football player near here who suffered a compound fracture of his leg, it became infected and had to be amputated. End of football career for him, no football bravado is worth losing a limb for.

    Report Post »  
  • libertyordeath87
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 8:01pm

    He has a long and prosperous career in the Navy Seals in his future.

    Report Post » libertyordeath87  
  • dhave1259
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 6:40pm

    Either really tough or really stupid – you make the call. Play a game or risk being maimed for life…

    Report Post » dhave1259  
  • HKS
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 4:19pm

    He is a “Hokie”, enough said.

    Report Post » HKS  
  • Jackson
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 3:44pm

    To:HMSCHLMOM,
    Unpopular? Nope! Mothers will always be the voice of reason in our world. As mothers must school their children on what is and is not important, fathers must school their children on determination. I don’t mean this as sexist as it sounds. You know what I’m trying to say…….

    Report Post » Jackson  
  • Hmschlmom
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 3:28pm

    Wow…I’m going to be unpopular, but, sorry, no game is worth losing an appendage over! Sheesh!

    It’s a GAME…that’s moronic!

    Report Post » Hmschlmom  
    • twinelm
      Posted on October 13, 2010 at 3:18pm

      The player is an adult, he deserves AS WE ALL DO to be able to MAKE HIS OWN CHOICES… I was a homeschool mom too for many years and now have a HS varsity footbal player. I know football and I know the guts and dedication it takes to play it. If this was a minor (high school) player, that is one thing; but this young man made a choice based on what he believes and should BE CELEBRATED FOR IT. I firmly believe that the place football holds in our culture will allow America to prevail BECAUSE IT TAKES GUTS…just reading the posts on this board ought to be a good example of the split. Namby pambies vs true conviction. Sorry, I will take true conviction every single time. You want a vanilla, safe (boring) life? Go live in the zoo…

      Report Post » twinelm  
  • W W GW D?
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 2:57pm

    he’ll do just fine in the No Fun League..im surprised they still tackle it’ll 2 hand touch before u know it im sick of the flags thrown just about everyplay

    Report Post » W W GW D?  
  • stixxx
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 2:19pm

    This guy is a man’s man. Damn !!

    Report Post »  
  • cdavehere
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 2:15pm

    His parents need to give parenting seminars.
    TEAM
    me
    It will work for our country too.

    Report Post »  
    • twinelm
      Posted on October 13, 2010 at 3:24pm

      Well put CDavehere. Having guts is instilled rather than just happenstance generally and starts with a proper attitude on what is important in life…generally helps to focus on others rather than self doesn’t it? That smacks of GOOD PARENTING!

      Report Post » twinelm  
  • caitlynsdad
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 1:36pm

    I understand that Ty Cobb once had his tonsils removed without anaesthetics, and still played later that day. That’s grit. Not that it’s quite at that level, but as a Philadelphia Phillies fan I know that if Chase Utley gets hurt during a ballgame, he often doesn‘t even let anybody know he’s injured because his desire to compete is so strong.

    Report Post » caitlynsdad  
  • Anawynn13
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 1:27pm

    In our world today of kids that only know how to whine and moan, it‘s very refreshing to see a kid that’s focused on something besides himself. Kudos to you young man!

    Report Post » Anawynn13  
  • AnAverageAmerican
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 12:51pm

    I love this story and I LOVE this kid! I love that he made the choice to continue to support and play for his team, without any regard for himself. To top it all off, he doesn’t understand why this has generated so much attention, which is what I admire the most – the fact that he is just that humble. He is a perfect example of what great Americans are – hard-working, dusting themselves off to get back to work, and doing what is best for their family (or in this case – their team).

    Report Post » AnAverageAmerican  
  • CommonSenseConservative
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 12:51pm

    Yes he is tough, yes amazing dedication but…….

    These are college kids and many of them leave this sport permanently injured. Sometimes with injuries that don’t show up for years while the schools make literally hundreds of millions of dollars off their talents. These kids get a college degree that is worth less and less and the schools make more and more money. The VERY least we can do for them is protect them. He should not have been given an option to continue playing in the game. As for the young man, very admirable character.

    Report Post »  
    • ShariO
      Posted on October 12, 2010 at 3:13pm

      I agree. Thanks for saying it!

      Report Post »  
    • twinelm
      Posted on October 13, 2010 at 3:22pm

      Y’all not tough enough to go out for or make the football team in your school days or what? Sounds like sour grapes to me. WE MUST SUPPORT PEOPLE HAVING THE FREEDOM TO MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICES… To use your logic, no one should be allowed to choose to smoke, eat at Burger King, drive fast, scuba dive etc. Geesh. You don’t seem to understand freedom and liberty very well.

      Report Post » twinelm  
  • opencanofworms
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 11:41am

    many players lose parts of their minds today and continue to play. sadly, they never get the parts they lose re-attached.

    Report Post » opencanofworms  
    • grandmaof5
      Posted on October 12, 2010 at 5:10pm

      Yep, there is a long list coming out of Congress that fit that description!

      Report Post »  
  • DMD
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 11:33am

    Lets see some photos.

    Report Post »  
  • Slevdog1
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 11:29am

    A nice story, a mental toughness that seems to be missing from many these days!

    Report Post »  
  • john seven eighteen
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 11:19am

    The best part of this story is that it never occurred to the kid that he did anything extraordinary. He just wanted to help his team, despite his pain and the danger of further damage to his finger. A real act of selflessness. I know a whole group of people who could really benefit from this kind of bravery!

    Report Post » john seven eighteen  
  • TheyTookOurJOBS
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 11:14am

    Its only a flesh wound!

    Report Post » TheyTookOurJOBS  
  • conservativeme
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 11:07am

    A man after my own hear!

    Report Post »  
  • usmcflyr
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 10:43am

    Ooh-Rah!

    Report Post » usmcflyr  
    • Flagwaver
      Posted on October 12, 2010 at 3:42pm

      This is one time when an Army grunt agree with the “jarhead.”

      HOOAH!!!

      That boy needs to join the service. He!!, gimme ten more like him and I’ll give you an unstoppable squad.

      Report Post » Flagwaver  
  • grandmaof5
    Posted on October 12, 2010 at 10:38am

    That’s one tough young man! Kudos…..

    Report Post »  

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