Former Cincinnati Bengals Player Fighting To Save His Leg

http://news.cincinnati.com/interactive/article/20130825/COL03/130822035/Ex-Cincinnati-Bengal-fighting-save-leg

Good story about one former athlete's struggle to save a leg damaged through his years in pro football. Compelling and interesting. Thought I would pass it alongFor

 

This is one hell of a description:

It doesn’t look like a knee. It has no cap. It has no defining, oval-like shape. It has hills and valleys, and scars like train tracks. It’s a package of dinner rolls. It’s at least twice the size of a normal knee. It bulges on the sides.

In 2008, when doctors operated on Reggie’s knee eight times in five months, he took photos of the knee, splayed open and ungodly horrid, with his cell phone. He must have 50 of them.

Picture a sweet potato, fresh baked and split down the center, awaiting butter and brown sugar. That’s what the open wound looked like. The skin on each side parted from the canyon, its dark brown-ness a ready accent to the exposed orange flesh. “I can say I know the torture of having your skin ripped off,” Reggie says.

But we don't know it's from football. It could have happened walking to the train on the hard pavement every day. /rogergoodell

 

This is an odd passage:

"He hasn’t had a meal at home in more than two years. A former girlfriend made Thanksgiving dinner. His refrigerator contains a jug of water. A visitor asks for a drink. He directs the visitor to a cupboard above the spotless, unused cooktop. I pull out a plastic tumbler with a sip lid. I can’t open it. I twist it, then try to pop the top."

 

Goddamn right he should.

 

The Washington Post's Sally Jenkins and Rick Maese, both leagues better than Paul Daugherty, wrote a big feature on NFL players struggling with health problems that led with Reggie Williams in May.

http://bit.ly/19Vz4Jw

 

Wait, Paul Daugherty wrote a story using "I" in it? I am shocked. Just shocked.

 

Daugherty is one of the most talented writers in the business. I had no idea until I moved to Cincinnati and started reading him 3-4 times a week. The man can do great things with words.

 

Where's Reggie Williams manners. He should have offered the visitor refreshments instead
of the parched visitor having to ask.

 

I don't think it was appreciably better.
Daugherty wrote the hell out of this, with great color.
Just left with a few questions - family whereabouts and his views on health care.

 

Doc is one of the best around. Calling Sally Jenkins leagues better is laughable.

 

Reggie Williams is one heck of a guy. I can't think of too many bad things ever said about him. I pray he comes out of this without losing his limb. The photos of his knee are hideous. Daughtery did an excellent job.

 

Just wonder how the doctors missed the osteomyelitis until the last minute.