Conditions + Treatments
Ankle Arthroscopy Surgery
Broken Ankle
I am senior at Mountain Brook High School and will graduate in May, 2023. Growing up, I played a variety of sports, and I have continued to play both football and baseball for the Spartans throughout high school.
Like so many communities and towns across the state of Alabama, our Mountain Brook community is very passionate about Friday night high school football. Our Spartans football team had a very memorable 2022 season (12-3), finishing with an 8-2 regular season record. Our team won 4 playoff games and advanced to the AHSSA 6A state championship game where we played Saraland High School in Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium on Friday, December 2, 2022.
This was our school’s first state championship appearance since 1996, meaning none of the players on our current roster were alive the last time our program was on the biggest stage. However, there was a deep-rooted belief from childhood that we could take our community to the pinnacle of high school football.
Making to the state championship game was the realization of a long-held dream for me and my senior teammates. We have been playing football together since we were 5 years-old, so it was very special to make it to the state championship game.
After a hard-fought battle with my teammates, Saraland defeated us 38-17 us to win the 6A state championship. We finished the 2022 season 12-3 record and 6A state runner-up.
Unfortunately, while playing defense late in the 4th quarter of the state championship game, I suffered a very severe injury. From my linebacker position, I was running to make a tackle and someone from the bottom side of the stack fell on my right leg. I was immediately in a lot of pain, and I was unable to get up. This was the final play of my high school career, and I truly felt like I had left it all on the field, finishing the game with 10 tackles.
Our athletic trainers and Dr. Lyle Cain and Dr. Norman Waldrop were both there covering the game. When I fell, they saw me grab my face mask instead of my ankle. They thought it may have been my shoulder or arm so they sent Dr. Cain to check it out. He immediately was able to tell that it was my ankle instead, and motioned Dr. Waldrop to come onto the field and looked at it.
After being evaluated on the field, I was taken to the sideline where there was an x-ray machine and they were able to take some x-rays of my ankle. I had snapped the fibula in my right leg and tore all of the ligaments in my ankle. I was thankful they both Drs. Cain and Waldrop were on the sideline. I know Drs. Cain and Waldrop very well because I know their kids, and my family and Dr. Waldrop’s family are very close.
The next day, my parents brought me to Andrews Sports Medicine where Dr. Waldrop re-examined my ankle and reviewed the diagnostics. He explained to me and my family that I needed surgery to fix the break, and it would require three to six months of recovery and rehab.
With my surgery being in early December, my goal was to make a full recovery so I could make it back for my senior year of baseball. My recovery was really good! I knew I had to work hard and grind to get it done so I could get back for the baseball season.
The first month of my recovery was pretty tough and I was mostly stuck in bed. I would say it was both physically and mentally hard. I had to build up my strength early on so I could focus on getting back to baseball, and had to push through. My physical therapists were awesome and helped me recover quickly. I am also so grateful for my athletic trainers too. They are all the best of the best.
I am now back playing baseball this spring with my Spartans teammates, and recently signed a baseball scholarship with Pearl River Community College. Thank you to Drs. Cain and Waldrop, my coaches, athletic trainers and physical therapists for your encouragement and working alongside me to make a comeback for my senior of baseball and achieving Victory Over Injury!
