After leaving the field during a practice run Tuesday afternoon, O is listed as questionable for the Student Section Race this Saturday against Ohio State.
He stopped suddenly while sprinting, going down to the turf and clutching his upper leg in pain. After the medical trainers came out to look at him, he was able to walk off the field on his own but was still hobbling.
“I’ve been pretty sore since the last race during the game against Georgia State, so I’ve just been taking it easy,” O said. “But I went into full sprints this week and I re-aggravated my quad I guess. I’m really hoping to power through Saturday.”
The racing letters are widely regarded for their toughness, racing through injuries to please their respective sections. In fact, a letter hasn’t missed the race since P infamously had to sit out with a broken toe in 2007.
“I don’t want to be remembered as that guy. P has a pretty bad reputation around here and I don’t want to have that legacy,” O said. “But if I can’t go, then I can’t go.”
The medical staff determined there was no tear, but rather a severe strain. Head trainer AA said that it would take a “miracle” for O to be able to race Saturday.
“I’ve seen a lot of gritty performances in my day,” AA said. “Back in ‘09, M tore his third meniscus three days before a race. But he went out there and hobbled on two legs. Man, that was special.”
But AA was unsure whether O has the same mental stamina as M, and wondered whether he’ll be able to suit up Saturday.
“Look, I’ve been around this group for quite some time now. O certainly isn’t weak—he’s a hell of a lot tougher than P will ever be—but he’s not exactly Cal Ripken, Jr.,” AA said.
After limping off the field, O sat in the ice bath for 15 minutes and then went through a rigorous stretching routine before heading home for the evening. He appeared to be in quite a bit of pain while stretching.
His coach, X, has been disappointed with O’s injury and inability to recover and isn’t expecting his pupil to race Saturday.
“He’s had a tough year with this nagging injury and unfortunately he hasn’t handled it well,” X said. “He needs to do a better job taking care of himself in the offseason and in between races or he’s never going to get better. He often lacks focus during off time.”
Upon returning home, O had his supposed lover L over to his loft in downtown Madison. As the night progressed, he didn’t exactly rest his injured leg.
Upon hearing this, X slumped his shoulders in defeat.
“He’s really spiraling downward. I’m not sure how much longer we can keep putting him out there. It might be time to start looking for a replacement,” X said.
At press time, X had begun making calls to other O’s around the country, including O’s son, O Jr.
