Career Ending Injury For Love

During the first quarter of the Indiana and Ball State football game Saturday, Ball State's top receiver, Dante Love, was taken off the field, by stretcher, and transferred immediately to Bloomington Hospital and would eventually be moved to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. All this happened as Love caught a short pass when one of Indiana's corner backs, Chris Adkins, hit helmet to helmet with Love.

Dante Love was on the ground, motionless, for 15 minutes before they put him on the stretcher to be taken off the field and escorted to a hospital. He said he felt numbness in both his arms and legs as they strapped him to the backboard. Love had a cervical spine fracture and a spinal cord injury. After a 5 hour surgery at Bloomington Hospital, Dante was able to move his arms and legs under his own power. This is a good sign for the Ball State receiver to his recovery towards a normal life. However, Dante Love will never be able to play football again.

I think helmet collisions are the most dangerous and threatening hit that a defender can give to someone. You never know how much harm you can do. Not only can you give each other concussions, but you can do some serious damage to the opponents back. This is exactly what happened to Dante Love on Saturday. I don't think the hit was meant to hurt anybody, but I think there should be a penalty for helmet to helmet hits.


Love ended his career holding the school record with 2,129 kick off return yards. He was also ranked second in Ball State history in receptions and receiving yards with 199 receptions for 2,778 yards. Not only did Love leave his mark in the record books, but with his fellow teammates as well. The team still considers him part of the team even though he will never take the field again. They are more concerned with his health and safety rather than the fact that he is not going to play with them again. This is the best attribute that you can look for in teammates. They care for each other on and off the field.

Love's physical presence may be gone, but he will always be a part of the team. We will have to watch and see how the Ball State Cardinals do without their star receiver, Dante Love.