Foot injury could keep senior quarterback Sefo Liufau off the field this year.
Lisfranc injury could keep the senior quarterback o≠ the field this year
BOULDER » Sefo Liufau stands up, slings his backpack over his shoulder and casually walks down a hallway.
There’s nothing strange about his gait, nothing that hints at the fact that Colorado’s senior quarterback still has months of rehabilitation ahead.
But three months after suffering a Lisfranc injury in his left foot, Liufau has come to terms with the reality that he can’t always perform.
“Mentally, I’m ready to go, but the foot has other plans depending on the day,” Liufau said. “I basically just have to be patient, but also have a really good attitude, because therewill be ups and downs throughout this whole process.”
The physical punishment Liufau took during the 2015 season was well- documented. Before his season- ending foot injury, he suffered a separated AC joint in his right shoulder and got his wrist banged up too.
Theworst injury he’s ever had, however, didn’t even cause him to miss a game. Before his senior year at Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma, Wash., Liufau began experiencing shooting pain in his back and leg.
“I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t bend over, and sometimes I would stand up and get stuck halfway through,” he said.
Doctors couldn’t figure out why he was hurting, and he played through his senior football and basketball seasons.
It wasn’t until after spring football in 2014 that doctors finally discovered he had a protruding disc in his back that was causing nerve damage.
He underwent a microdiscectomy to shave off part of the disc and relieve his pain. He has been a different person and athlete since. “Life is a lot better,” he said. While his back is no longer much of an issue, Liufau’s right shoulder became a big issue last season. He was injured during CU’s 27- 24 victory over Colorado State. He never missed a play, and in fact threw a 65yard touchdownpass on his next throw. He said he felt fine. He now admits he wasn’t.
“I’m never really honest with anybody in terms of how I’m actually feeling,” he said. “When you’re in the position I’m in, I don’t want people to worry about me.
“I’ve kind of opened up to the trainers a little bit more since my ( foot) injury. But for the most part, I’m always fine. I’ll get through it.”
Liufau said he had a lot of “shocking” pain in his shoulder, and he got through it with Aleve and adrenaline. The day after the injury, he could barely lift his arm. He didn’t practice the nextweek, but he played in CU’s 48- 0 victory over Nicholls State.
After about four or five weeks, Liufau’s shoulder got “bearable,” but to this day he said he can’t sleep on that shoulder.
As he played through injuries, therewere some on social media who said hewas selfish.
“It’s about the team and trying to get this program back to the top echelon of college football,” Liufau said.
If Liufau’s desire to win is questioned, consider this: After Texas Tech quarterback Davis Webb announced this winter that he would play his final year somewhere else, CU was immediately interested. Coach Mike MacIntyre approached Liufau last month; he wasn’t sure how his captain and top QB would feel about it.
“I said, ‘ That’s great,’ ” Liufau said. “Coach Mac said, ‘ Are you sure that’s OK?’ And I was like, ‘ Yeah, it’s totally fine.’ It’s not about me. Anything to help the team, by any means.”
But Liufau isn’t conceding his starting job. “Competition fuels me,” he said. At this point, Liufau is readying himself for anything. His injury is so unpredictable, there’s no telling what his future holds.
While he hopes to be healthy by the fall, he said, “Who knows? Imight not even play next year. There’s a very big possibility of that. It’s something I have to accept.”
Liufau has a redshirt year available, so he could sit out this fall and comeback in 2017.