Columbus Givens update/story

[PonyPride]

I've talked to a lot of players as the season approaches, and a lot of them are more excited about Columbus Givens than anyone else on the team.

Givens was diagnosed in the spring with bacterial meningitis. He lost weight and strength, eventually dropping out of school because he didn't have the energy to walk to class. He said he went home for a while, but returned to Dallas. He enrolled in summer school to make sure he retained eligibility. The meningitis also caused an infection in his ankle, and he had surgery to get the ankle cleared out.

Givens moved in with Justin Willis. Those two, plus Emmanuel Sanders, have spent hours watching game film (and, of course, playing video games) and throwing a lot. Givens said that after seeing his weight drop to just 155 pounds when he was sick, he now is back up to nearly 170 pounds. He said his strength is getting better, and his stamina is improving every day. Sanders and Willis both insist that Givens is even faster now than he was before getting sick.

Givens' rehab was different than the routine most players go through when coming back from a "regular" football-related injury. He had to regain the ability to walk. He had to get to the point where he could walk distances without wearing out. Even light running was exhausting. During the spring, he came to watch some of the Mustangs' spring workouts, and had to sit down and rest after just standing and watching for a while.

He said he's more appreciative of being at SMU, and of playing football, than he was before he got sick. Not only did he lose weight, Givens said the doctors told him the disease was life-threatening. He's glad to be alive.

Givens did not sit out his true freshman season as a redshirt, and said he has no desire to use that year off now to gain strength; he also said the coaches haven't pushed the redshirt idea on him. He agrees with Willis and Sanders, that he's faster than ever before, and said his strength is improving all the time. He seems to be running well in practice, and has gone up and fought DBs for some high passes, winning some of the battles.

Getting his strength back clearly is going to be an ongoing process, but it looks like he definitely is on the right track.

[giacfsp]

I didn't realize Givens' life was in jeopardy. Kind of puts the whole football thing in perspective.

How can you not root for this guy?

Thanks for this story, PonyPride.

[OC Mustang]

I didn't realize Givens' life was in jeopardy. Kind of puts the whole football thing in perspective.
How can you not root for this guy?
Thanks for this story, PonyPride.

Yes, bacterial meningitis...heck, any meningitis, is very, very bad stuff. They inoculated the whole team for safety at the time because it is highly contagious as well. Pernicious stuff.

[ThadFilms]

Thanks for the report Pride - I'll be rooting for him.

(I'm mean I'd be rooting for him anyhow, but, uh, you know what I mean.)

[J.T.supporta]

I've always been a huge fan of givens and aslways wanted him to see him succeed big on the field. I never knew it got that bad for him, so to here that he's back and better than ever is the best news I've heard so far this month.

I wish only the best for ya CG!

[PonyGirl]

Some notes on what I found on webmd.com:

"Meningitis is a common name for infections that take place in the membranes (called meninges) surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis can be caused by viruses and by bacteria. One of the most serious forms of meningitis is caused by bacteria known as meningococci … An infection with meningococcal bacteria causes a serious, potentially fatal infection called meningococcal disease. You may have heard it referred to as bacterial meningitis … Meningococcal disease can affect the meninges, causing meningitis. It can also cause a very serious condition called sepsis (also known as blood poisoning) … Each year, about 3000 people in the United States become infected with the bacteria, and as many as 1 in 10 of those people die. … As deadly as meningococcal disease can be, most cases in the United States (up to 83 percent of cases in adolescents and young adults) could potentially be prevented by a single vaccination.

Thank you for the update on Givens.

More importantly, thank you Columbus. You could have gone to another school (TCU and UTEP), and you chose to play for us. You could have showed up out of shape, but you were the only true freshman to earn significant playing time in your first year. You could have gone through the motions, but you've worked to get stronger and be a better player. You could have coasted and gotten through school and moved on, but you haven't. You've endured an awful medical setback, one which would convince lesser competitors to take the year off — after all, he hasn't used his redshirt year yet, right?

I can't wait for football season. I can't wait to see us upset Texas Tech. I'm going to stand and cheer when the Ponies take the field, but I'll put a little something extra in it when I see #4 out there.

Get healthy, get strong and get in the end zone. WAY TO GO, COLUMBUS!

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

lets red shirt him and have him at 100%

[J.T.supporta]

ig he's faster than he was before the illness he should be at 100% now

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

yeah he "may be" faster ( i doubt that is official), but if his stamina is not there or if he is not fully recovered i say red shirt him.

[Stallion]

I don't think Bennett can afford to redshirt Givens. It would take some guts to redshirt him if he is not ready because they definitely need to improve their athleticism at WR.

[SMUguy]

To hell with wins and losses, and if that one decision ends up costing a bowl or someone's job, that's a real shame — but his health has to be Priority No. 1 on this.

[mrydel]

The kid says he is ready, let him play.

[Hilltopper]

Get him healthy, then turn him loose.

I want to buy a Columbus Givens jersey.

[RedRiverPony]

I want to buy a Columbus Givens jersey.

Ditto. Would be great to see nothing but Givens jerseys in GJF this year. This is as scary as anything someone can go through. Hang tough, Columbus.