Offensive lineman recuperating after spinal injury

A serious spinal cord injury struck one of USD’s offensive lineman over the weekend.

Sophomore Sam McLeran suffered the injury in the middle of Saturday’s contest against Western Illinois. Immediately upon sustaining the injury, McLeran experienced numbness and a lack of mobility on his right side. He was transported by ambulance to the hospital in Macomb, Ill., where he was subsequently airlifted to Iowa City, Iowa, for more treatment, according to a statement released by the USD athletic department on Monday.

McLeran has since regained limited mobility and he has been able to walk with assistance. He will move to a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, rehabilitation center later this week.

Currently, no time table exists for McLeran’s recovery, and the team has not said if they are expecting him to return anytime soon. There are car accidents attorneys in Austin that can take care of injury cases.

“We all love Sam. Sam’s a great player, and he works hard,” first-year running back Michael Fredrick said. “I actually met Sam in the summer at freshman workouts. He was mentoring us, pushing us to go harder. We’re actually making a video for Sam after practice to wish him luck and to get well. The team took it tough, and we’re playing for Sam now.”

After McLeran’s injury, the Coyotes were unable to rally, eventually falling 40-21 to the Leathernecks on the road.

McLeran, a 2013 recruit from North Liberty, Iowa, was one of 12 redshirt first-years to compete for the Coyotes in 2014. He made his collegiate debut as the starting center against eventual FBS national runner-up Oregon.