Barbell Lands on USC RB's Throat

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by GMScud

I lift alone pretty often, but I would never bench press or squat without a spotter right behind me. It's common sense. Apparently this kid had a spotter too. Dude just must not have been paying attention. My guess is the kid who was lifting can probably throw up 275 several times, and the spotter was just kind of standing there, not really expecting him to struggle and therefore probably didn't have his hands right under the bar like he would if he was trying to max out.

I heard the spotter was not a teammate, but the assistant strength coach..he might not have been strong enough to keep the 275 pounds from falling on him. He could just have been using an improper grip too. It's tough to drop a bar if you're using the right grip. It can get stuck on your chest, but it should not fall. So many things can go wrong with that kind of weight. According to Pete Carrol he was at the end of his set and was re-racking the weight. The left side was racked but he missed on the right side and he let go (poor spotting). This is why it landed on his throat and not his chest.

He had successful surgery on his Adam's apple, torn muscles in his neck, and vocal chords were reconstructed. Apparently this is the best case scenario and the doctors did an EXCELLENT job. He is expected to make a full recovery and can play football next year if he can get a medical redshirt.