All athletes are going to get injured at some time, but not all athletes are going to get season injuries or need to be carried off the field.

Major injuries do happen, and they can even damage the athlete’s ability in one of their other sports.

Football is a sport that many athletes get injured in. This season there were three players that had season ending injuries: senior lineman Kaleb Crimp, junior quarterback Devon Shields and sophomore lineman Caleb Dalzell.

On Sept. 7 at Lincoln High School, Crimp completely tore his MCL. This injury took him out for the remainder of his senior season. It not only affected him in football, but it might affect him in track season also.
This winter he will be working to get ready for track season, but it will not be easy.

“When I first start I’m going to be sore,” Crimp said.

Injured athletes should work hard on their recovery so they can do well in their upcoming seasons.
During practice on Oct. 15, two days before Homecoming, Shields was tackled and tried to break his fall. He stuck out his left arm and landed wrong, breaking his wrist.

His broken left wrist will not really affect his baseball season. He believes that because he uses his left arm to catch it should not be a problem.

Two days later at the homecoming game, Dalzell had a spiral fracture of his fibula. During the game against Reynolds, two players fell on his leg and he could not walk off the field without help.
Of the three football players, only Dalzell plays a winter sport. Last year Dalzell played basketball, but this year he will not be able to play.

“He still has two years of basketball [in high school],”  varsity coach Mike Melton said.

Between now and next basketball season, Dalzell will be in track. Melton’s hope is that Dalzell will be ready for track season even though he had a winter with low physical activity.

“He’s come to practice. He’s there at games,” Melton said.

According to Dalzell, he also stayed connected with his football team when he was out for the season.

This year the school has seen that when players get injured that it not only affects the team they got injured on, but it can also affect them in later seasons. Crimp may have troubles with track, but he should be back and ready. Shields does not feel like his injury will affect his baseball season. Dalzell, though, has experienced the worst time loss. He will most likely miss all of his sophomore season. After this year he still has two more years to play though.

Students who do sports know that they are going to feel pain, but nobody ever wants to be sidelined with an injury that extends across multiple season like these three football players. Though recovery is slow, the dedication of the individual to their teammates shows the true character of the athlete.