UW-Eau Claire senior Justin Greenwood remained in critical condition Wednesday at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minn., but has shown improvement since being injured in Saturday’s football game against UW-River Falls.
Coach Todd Hoffner said Greenwood has shown “purposeful movements” in an arm and a leg, and he will be weaned off of the sedatives that have kept him unconscious since the injury.
| Cards or letters can be sent to: Justin Greenwood Regions Hospital, SICU, 640 Jackson St. St. Paul, MN, 55101 Donations can be sent to: The Justin Greenwood Recovery Fund at any RCU, or sent to: Royal Credit Union, P.O. Box 970, Eau Claire, WI, 54702 Web page about Greenwood: www.caringbridge.org/wi/justin |
Greenwood also has developed pneumonia, which is being controlled by antibiotics. Because of the pneumonia, Greenwood cannot see visitors at this time.
The linebacker, who is a junior in eligibility, was injured covering a kickoff with more than two minutes remaining in the second quarter against the Falcons, banging his head in a helmet-to-helmet collision.
After being taken off the sideline in an ambulance at halftime, Greenwood was taken first to River Falls Area Hospital before being airlifted to Regions. Hoffner said Greenwood had surgery Saturday night at Regions to remove a blood clot and relieve pressure from his brain.
While Greenwood remains in intensive care at Regions, his eammates are trying to prepare for this Saturday’s Homecoming matchup against Bethel College (Minn.).
“This team is like a family, so it’s very difficult to focus,” senior linebacker Austin Crow said after Tuesday’s practice. “But if he were out here, he’d be focusing on the game. He’d be very grateful that he’s in our thoughts, but he’d want us to go out and win.”
Sophomore receiver Matt Evensen said Greenwood’s injury has made the team focus on things besides football.
“It forces us to reprioritize things, to take a step back and look at what’s important,” he said. “We have to move on as best as can, but we keep him in our thoughts and prayers.”
Greenwood’s family has set up a Web site where people can go to read about updates on his condition and to send messages to Justin and his family.
Also, the football team’s Unity Council, comprised of seniors on the team, has set up a recovery fund for Greenwood at the Royal Credit Union in Eau Claire.
