Surgery on calf saved defensive end’s career
When doctors considered Jason Taylor’s left calf, it wasn’t the Dallas game they were worried about. It was his career. So Taylor said he had a choice: have the surgery or stop playing.
“I wanted to wait a couple hours but they said, ‘You don’t have a couple hours, you should have done it an hour ago,’” said Taylor, leaning on his crutches with his calf wrapped in an ace bandage. “Time was of the essence.”
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Now it’s uncertain when he’ll return, though it won’t be for Sunday’s game at Dallas, snapping his consecutive games played streak at 133.
“Nobody knows when the body will respond,” Taylor said. “It could be a week or a couple months; you never know.”
Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher missed 17 days with compartmental syndrome in 2004, causing him to miss two games.
Taylor, who was diagnosed with having compartmental syndrome in his calf, could have developed drop foot from the nerve damage, which would have effectively ended his career. Compartmental syndrome occurs when pressure builds up on the muscle.
Doctors made a six-inch incision on the outside of his calf. He must rest for a few days; he’ll be off the crutches in a couple days and then likely use a walking boot.
However, Redskins director of sports medicine Bubba Tyer said he wasn’t sure how close Taylor was to having his career ended.
“It wasn’t like we rushed him there with ambulance and red lights,” said Tyer, who added that he hadn’t seen an injury like this in 37 years with Washington. “The doctors did a thorough examination. Jason said it hurts like crazy, but do you have to cut on me. They had to convince him it needed to be done. It was done in a timely fashion.”
What helped Taylor is that of the four compartments in the calf, only one was affected. When it’s multiple compartments, the patient could die or lose a limb.
Taylor was kicked in his calf during the second quarter of Sunday’s 24-17 win over Arizona. He had it checked at halftime and returned. Afterward, trainers told him if it bothered him at night to call. Around 3 a.m., Taylor phoned Redskins director of rehabilitation Larry Hess.
“I thought, if I can get to sleep I’ll be fine,” Taylor said. “I’m glad I didn’t go to sleep.”
Taylor was told by Redskins orthopedic surgeon Dr. Chris Annuziata to meet him at the Virginia Hopsital Center in Arlington.
Other doctors, including noted surgeon Dr. James Andrews, were consulted on the phone; they reiterated the need to have the procedure done as soon as possible. Otherwise, Taylor said they told him, “You’d be done forever.”
By 6 a.m. Taylor was in surgery.
“I’m a hard head and didn’t want to do it,” he said. “I wanted to wait and let God try to heal it up some. But I guess sometimes you’ve got to help him out.”
