Mompremier: “I wouldn’t even know how to hit anybody right now”

Posted Sep 23, 2008 by Brett McMurphy

Updated Sep 23, 2008 at 09:03 PM

Three days after suffering a frightening neck injury at Florida International, University of South Florida LB Brouce Mompremier returned to practice Tuesday — but only as a spectator.

School officials have said Mompremier will miss at least two games. Realistically, he might have played his final game Saturday, coincidentally, in his home town of Miami.

“Let me put it this way: if they said I could play today, I wouldn’t even know how to hit anybody right now,” Mompremier told Tribune correspondent Gregg Becnel on Tuesday. “You see a lot of players get hurt like I did, and I don’t want to end up like that Ball State player.”

That Ball State player, senior WR Dante Love, broke his spine and sustained a spinal cord injury Saturday against Indiana, a few hours after Mompremier’s injury. Love had five hours of surgery and can move his arms and legs, but BSU officials said Love will not play again.

Mompremier’s injury wasn’t as severe — his did not require surgery and doctors said he did not suffer any serious spinal injuries — but it was still terrifying. Mompremier was momentarily unconscious, and he initially couldn’t lift his legs.

When Mompremier came to Tuesday’s practice, it provided an emotional lift as his teammates surrounded him, jumping up and down yelling “Brouce! Brouce!”

Not having Mompremier the rest of the season would be a tough loss, but he has learned there are bigger priorities.

“I was scared [when it happened],” Mompremier said. “I didn’t know what to think. It was all real scary.”