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Mompremier Shaken After Injuring Neck

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By BRETT McMURPHY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 24, 2008

TAMPA - Three days after suffering a frightening neck injury at Florida International, University of South Florida LB Brouce Mompremier returned to practice Tuesday - but only as a spectator.

School officials have said Mompremier will miss at least two games. Realistically, he might have played his final game Saturday, coincidentally, in his home town of Miami.

"Let me put it this way: if they said I could play today, I wouldn't even know how to hit anybody right now," Mompremier told Tribune correspondent Gregg Becnel on Tuesday. "You see a lot of players get hurt like I did, and I don't want to end up like that Ball State player."

That Ball State player, senior WR Dante Love, broke his spine and sustained a spinal cord injury Saturday against Indiana, a few hours after Mompremier's injury. Love had five hours of surgery and can move his arms and legs, but BSU officials said Love will not play again.

Mompremier's injury wasn't as severe - his did not require surgery and doctors said he did not suffer any serious spinal injuries - but it was still terrifying. Mompremier was momentarily unconscious, and he initially couldn't lift his legs.

When Mompremier came to Tuesday's practice, it provided an emotional lift as his teammates surrounded him, jumping up and down yelling "Brouce! Brouce!"

Not having Mompremier the rest of the season would be a tough loss, but he has learned there are bigger priorities.

"I was scared when it happened," Mompremier said. "I didn't know what to think. It was all real scary."

FOLLOW THE (RED) BRICK ROAD: Saturday's game at N.C. State will have special meaning for USF receivers coach Mike Canales, who was the Wolfpack's quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator in 2001 and '02.

In 2002, the Pack had the school's best record (11-3) and Associated Press ranking (No. 12). Each member of the coaching staff was recognized with a brick inscribed with their name on a walkway to the athletic facility.

"I still haven't found it," Canales said. "I thought about going over there and seeing if I can find it."

Canales, whose stepdaughter is an N.C. State graduate, said he is expecting about 25 friends and family at the game. He already talked with one of his former players - San Diego Chargers QB Phillip Rivers.

"He told me to take it easy on the Wolfpack," Canales said.

GURU 'U?' Because of the success against West Virginia the past two years, coaches from different colleges visited USF's defensive staff in the summer for advice on stopping the spread offense.

Last week, N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien said he saw no reason to check with USF's coaches.

"Did you watch them against Oregon?" said O'Brien, referring to USF's 56-21 Sun Bowl loss. "Go look at that game. That was the spread that they were defending. I'm not saying anything about South Florida's defense, but if they're the gurus, we'd better go somewhere else."

USF defensive coordinator Wally Burnham responded to O'Brien's quote Tuesday.

"Here's the way I feel about it," Burnham said. "He's right, we're not gurus. On the other hand, we try to handle things professionally and not say anything ... with class, not say anything about anyone else's coaching staff. He can say what he wants to.

"The other thing, I forget what bowl game they were in. That's all I've got to say."

Last year was the second in a row that N.C. State didn't go to a bowl game.

ODDS AND ENDS: "Hello, Rocky!," a children's book about Rocky D. Bull written by USF alum Jeffrey Fox, is available at www.BullsHeaven.com. ... Former USF softball All-American P Leigh Ann Ellis is an assistant at N.C. State. ... For the third consecutive week, USF was involved in one of the five longest football games of the week. USF-FIU (3:32) was the week's fourth-longest game, USF-KU (3:31) was that week's third-longest and USF-UCF (3:39) tied as the week's second-longest.

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