Trevor Wikre sacrifices finger to keep playing football

[Blue_Tires]

Trevor Wikre felt something funny inside his right lineman's glove. Squishy, like wet popcorn. The athletic tape had come loose, he figured. He ran another practice play, but it still felt wrong, so he stripped off his glove and saw a shard of bone where the top of his right pinkie used to be. The rest of the finger hung at a 45-degree angle, like a Popsicle sliding off the stick. It was then that Wikre, a senior right guard for Division II Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colo., realized what had happened: While blocking for a bootleg his 280 pounds had gone one way and his finger, hooked in a teammate's jersey, had gone the other.

Severe dislocation, said the trainer. Going to need surgery, said the orthopedic surgeon. Can I practice tomorrow? asked Wikre.

The surgeon grimaced. Six months recovery time, he said. Which for Wikre meant the end of his career -- and with Mesa State undefeated in conference, no less.

Before you condemn what this 21-year-old did next -- and plenty of people have in the last two weeks -- you need to understand who he is. Since fourth grade Wikre has been playing football. "Living it, really," says his fiancée, Traci Young. From Pop Warner through Berthoud (Colo.) High and college, he never missed a game. Banged up his knee once and had the trainer fit him with a makeshift brace at halftime. Got the flu once and vomited between offensive series.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/chris_ballard/10/14/point.after1020/index.html?eref=sircrc

don't know whether to admire or curse him...I just hope he savors every second of playing time the last 4-5 games of the season he traded a finger for...

[petronius]

1. There are people out there who are immeasurably tougher than I am

Because, when I got to that popsicle part I immediately counted all my fingers, and even though they're all there I still almost called in sick tomorrow... :)

After reading the whole article, I think the guy made the right decision - right for him, anyway. A lot of people risk injury and loss to pursue something they love, and often say the risk is worth it without ever honestly engaging with the possibility that the bad stuff could happen to them. This guy knew football was risky, and when the injury came he still thought it was worth it. Sounds pretty level-headed...

[bluesbassman]

2. Ronnie Lott did the same thing. It's football baby!

Can't really express it any other way. Some guys are just take it that seriously.

[Blue_Tires]

5. at least it can be argued that Lott's livelihood was at stake

and it was a financial decision...This kid is doing it for a few games of his senior season...

[PermanentRevolution]

3. It's 2/3 of a pinky... I'd probably have cut it off, too

It's not like you need it for anything except possibly nosepicking if you have tiny nostrils...

On a side-note, I had a friend in elementary school who was missing the top segment of his ring finger - except the bone was still there! It was really cool - this little grey bone jutting out of his finger stump. He was very popular because of it.

[LisaL]

4. Good thing he didn't break his arm. Just cut it off, doc.

Yikes.

[Brewman_Jax]

6. Cut me, Mick!

[baldguy]

7. How many fingers do you really NEED anyway?

And the pinkie is the least useful one of the bunch.

[crispini]

8. Hellooo... right pinkie .. ENTER key, anyone?

Jeez, I can't imagine not being able to type 10 fingers.

[baldguy]

9. Some of us use two fingers to type

[Deep13]

10. It was a reasonable medical decision for him.

There was no guarantee that it could be fixed anyway. And a pinky is not a tremendously useful finger. If it was a thumb or index finger, I think I would have tried to save it. But an injury like that to a pinky, I might have let it go and avoid the cost and pain of recovery even without a football career.

[DS1]

11. Well, his dates won't have to worry about "The Shocker"

[Blue_Tires]

12. but fisting will be a little easier

ok, and now we have gone off the tracks...

[quakerboy]

13. It was probably a damn pinky commie anyway.