Louisville Guard Undergoes Successful Surgery On Broken Leg
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (CBSMiami) – One of the biggest stories coming out of the NCAA Tournament over the weekend was the horrific injury suffered by Louisville Cardinals guard Kevin Ware. But, less than 24 hours later, there is good news to report for Ware.
Ware landed awkwardly while contesting a shot in the first half of the regional final game against the Duke Blue Devils. When Ware landed, his leg snapped in half and broke through the skin with a compound fracture.
(CBS4/CBSMiami will not show photos/video of Ware's injury)
The horrific injury made players on both teams physically ill and halted the game for roughly a half-hour as Ware was tended to on the court.
Louisville issued a release saying Ware had undergone a successful two-hour surgery on his leg. The surgery re-set the bone, closed the wound from the injury, and had a rod inserted in his right tibia during the surgery.
Louisville head coach Rick Pitino, along with FIU head coach Richard Pitino, were both scheduled to visit with Ware in the hospital. Rick Pitino estimated Ware would be out for a year, but doctors said it's possible the recovery time could be much quicker.
Former NFL quarterback Joe Theismann, who suffered a horrific broken leg himself, reached out to Ware offering any help that he could give the star guard.
"You hate to see anybody get hurt," Theismann told NFL.com. "But when you have an injury like he had, so similar like I had happen to me, you start to relive all the moments and what he's going through. With a broken leg, the pain is instantaneous and absolutely excruciating. But then all of the sudden, the body shuts down that section of the leg or wherever it might be."
