Ole Miss’ Thomas airlifted to hospital following injury
OXFORD, Miss. — Mississippi freshman Damarcus Thomas was cleared for release after being airlifted to a Memphis hospital Monday following a practice injury.
“Damarcus is doing well,” said Pat Jernigan, the Ole Miss assistant athletic director for sports medicine. “All of his medical tests came back normal, and he is being released from the hospital.
“Our physicians will be following up with him in the coming days for further evaluation.”
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said earlier that Thomas initially didn’t have “any feeling in his entire body.”
Kiffin said Thomas’ family was called from the practice field. The freshman tight end from Whatley, Alabama, was taken by ambulance to a local hospital and then airlifted to Memphis Regional Hospital.
Kiffin didn’t specify how the injury occurred but said that Thomas took a hit. He said he hadn’t been around that kind of injury situation personally.
“They keep touching him, do you feel this, do you feel that? And he keeps saying no,” the coach said. “And you’re thinking about your own kid. I don’t know.
“That’s the first time I’ve seen something where I just called (son) Knox’s mom and said I could care less whether he ever plays football after seeing that.”
Thomas had played in the past five games for Ole Miss but had not recorded a stat.
REDEMPTION FOR FREEZE
Hugh Freeze is fine with his own redemption being part of the story as Liberty’s football team makes school history. The coach also knows the very public legal battles engulfing the school’s administration drives much of the narrative about the university.
He just hopes the success the Flames have had in earning their first national ranking in the Top 25 is isn’t overshadowed by his past or any other off the field news -- and that the team’s success offers those connected to the embattled school some respite.
“This is something you’re going to remember and set on the rocking chair or the swing or your back porch and you’re going to tell your kids about. You’re going to tell your grandkids about,” Freeze said he told his team while displaying a photo of the poll.
“And so if I were you, I would take this and get it framed. It’s special.”
The Flames (6-0), despite having played opponents with a combined 4-28 record, slipped into the Top 25 in only their second full season at the Bowl Subdivision level. It’s a lofty perch that will be tested when they play at Virginia Tech on Saturday.
But no matter what happens going forward, nothing can take away the milestone, Freeze told his team on Monday -- the first time they were together since the ranking was announced.
It was some good news for the evangelical school in Lynchburg, Virginia that in recent months has been at the center of so much negative attention. Former school president and chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr., the son of the school’s founder, was placed on leave this summer after a questionable Instagram post. He then resigned after a business partner said he’d been involved in an extramarital affair with the younger Falwell’s wife.
Falwell has denied details of the story and is suing the school for defamation and breach of contract, saying the university “moved quickly” to destroy his reputation.
The football team’s success, Freeze hopes, shines a different light on the university.
“I do hope in some way for those that are experiencing whatever negative things that could go on in life in general that, I would hope that if they’re a Liberty fan, that our football team certainly gives them something to have some joy about,” Freeze said.