Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Theismann sympathizes with Hayward
Former NFL quarterback Joe Theismann saw Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward’s broken left ankle and immediately felt a kind of empathy few could.
Theismann said he’s available to chat with Hayward if the NBA player wants.
“It sickens me every time I see a young man get hurt. It’s just such a shame,” Theismann said in a telephone interview Wednesday, the day after Hayward was hurt in the first quarter of his first game with Boston. “And I seem to be the guy they compare everything to when it comes to that sort of injury.”
When Theismann tweeted, “Felt so bad for Hayward,” it resonated in a different way than the thoughts expressed by so many others.
On Nov. 18, 1985, Theismann’s right leg was broken when he was sacked by New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor in the second quarter of a game against the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football.
Theismann was 36 at the time and didn’t appear in another NFL game.
The TV replay, aired over and over, showed Theismann’s leg bending unnaturally — much like photos and video of Hayward’s injury.
Theismann watched the sequence involving the 27-yearold Hayward in Boston’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on the NBA’s opening night Tuesday just once.
“I’m like most people — curious as to what has happened, and then I look away,” Theismann said. “I don’t look at it again.”
Theismann understands why, on such occasions, folks think of what happened to him all those decades ago.
He also is willing to share his thoughts about dealing with this type of injury.
“If someone reaches out to me, I hope I can help with the physical and psychological challenges that take place. You try to take what can be a really negative experience and make something positive out of it. There are doubts for any athlete.” Theismann said. “For me, if I can help somebody through the experience that I had, then I don’t mind at all.”
Basketball returns
“NBA regular season basketball is back,” wrote Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe.com. “Which means we’re only about six months away from meaningful games.”
Greetings!
“Cleveland Browns offensive lineman Joe Thomas said he once met his new quarterback for the first time in the huddle,” wrote Brad Dickson of the Omaha WorldHerald. “Signs team chemistry may be lacking: Guys in the huddle on third and nine shaking hands and going, ‘Nice to meet you.’ ”
Add Dickson
“Thomas once met his new quarterback in the huddle,” Dickson added. “It was no big deal. By the end of the next official review, that quarterback had been cut.”