USC's Johnson injures throat while bench pressing

[Brian in Mesa]

USC's Johnson injures throat while bench pressing

September 28, 2009
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

USC running back Stafon Johnson injured his throat in a weight lifting accident Monday and required emergency surgery.

It's unclear how long Johnson will be out, but it's a near-certainty he won't play at California on Saturday.

The bar slipped from Johnson's hand and landed on his throat when he was bench pressing.

Yes, that sounds horrible. Sure everyone wishes him a speedy recovery.

Johnson is the Trojans TD back -- when USC gets near the goal line, he goes in. While Johnson probably wasn't thrilled with his limit role thus far this season -- he's only carried the ball 32 times, five of which ended in TDs -- he's never complained.

Johnson's absence likely means more carries for 235-pound junior Allen Bradford or perhaps 225-pound sophomore Marc Tyler.

It's also the latest in a long string of injuries for key USC players.

Seven starters have missed -- or will miss -- at least one game so far this season, and that doesn't include key reserves.

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7 hours of surgery !!

 

[PoolBoy]

sounds so painful.

 

[boisesuns]

I guess he didn't have a spotter?

 

[TJ]

I guess he didn't have a spotter?

He actually did. I guess what happened was that the bar slipped out of his hand and came down too fast. I can almost guarantee that USC trainers would not put up with someone benching 275 and not have someone help him out. Even if I go above 185, I ask someone to help spot.

It was funny because yesterday was my chest day and I gotta tell you that incident was on my mind. I was thinking about how painful it would be for that bar to fall on my throat. Id probably rather be dead than to feel that sort of pain.

 

[PoolBoy]

It was funny because yesterday was my chest day and I gotta tell you that incident was on my mind. I was thinking about how painful it would be for that bar to fall on my throat. Id probably rather be dead than to feel that sort of pain.

same

 

[Russ Smith]

He actually did. I guess what happened was that the bar slipped out of his hand and came down too fast. I can almost guarantee that USC trainers would not put up with someone benching 275 and not have someone help him out. Even if I go above 185, I ask someone to help spot.

It was funny because yesterday was my chest day and I gotta tell you that incident was on my mind. I was thinking about how painful it would be for that bar to fall on my throat. Id probably rather be dead than to feel that sort of pain.

One of the assistant trainers was spotting from what I read. What a horrible accident he's lucky to be alive. The doctors are saying only his muscular physique saved his life, the weight would have completely crushed his trachea and he'd have died of lack of air. They had to do a tracheotomy on him to let him breathe but they said if he wasn't in such good shape that wouldn't have been possible.