MintBaconDrivel
11 years ago

GREEN BAY — Jerry Fontenot isn't a doctor, nor does he play one in the hallway outside the Green Bay Packers locker room. What the Packers tight ends coach is, however, is a father, Jermichael Finley's position coach and a guy who played 16 NFL seasons and can remember two other instances like the one he saw on Sunday, when Finley suffered a neck injury during the Packers' victory over the Cleveland Browns and left Lambeau Field in an ambulance.

"Unfortunately those are kind of images that stick with you," Fontenot said Thursday, the same day that Finley was able to go home from a local hospital. "In my draft class in '89, there were two guys that had neck injuries. One of them, Dennis Byrd, was playing with the Jets. The other one was Mike Utley, an offensive lineman in Detroit. Unfortunately, you get visions of injuries like that occurring and it's always tough to see. Whenever it's one of the guys in your family, it's really hard."

Fontenot, who had previously coached from upstairs in the coaches' box but moved down to the field this season, didn't realize the severity of Finley's injury initially, saying he instead saw Finley catch the ball, get hit and then saw the ball come out.

"That's kind of what caught my focus was the ball trickling out at the very end," said Fontenot, who is preparing Andrew Quarless, Brandon Bostick and Jake Stoneburner for Sunday's game at Minnesota. "The next thing I noticed was Andrew over there next to him, and I could tell something was wrong. Obviously from there, it was a little bit surreal.

"I went out on to the field at some point to see how he was, and by that point they had already taken off his facemask, so I knew it probably wasn't good. Again, I just tried to console him as best I could in that moment. Anybody that knows Jermichael, he's very competitive and extremely enthusiastic person, and he was a little shaken by the whole thing."

Fontenot said he simply watched as the medical staff tended to Finley and evaluated him. He and head coach Mike McCarthy went to see Finley in the hospital with other Packers staffers while Finley was still in the intensive care unit.

"I drove over because I live not far from there, (and) I just happened to bump into Mike when I was walking up. And then there were some other people in the organization that had gone there with his wife, Courtney, and were kind of holding her hand through the process as well," Fontenot said. "Whenever you have an injury of that sort, the first thing you really care about is the person being able to live a long and healthy life, because (you don't know) the severity of it (when) it happened. I think after that, after we get the information at least, we know what we're dealing with and then we can start to move forward.

"I think we're in a good place now. We're supporting him all the best that we can. Meanwhile, we're going to go out there, do our best for him (on Sunday night against the Vikings), and if and when he's ready to come back, we'll be ready to take him back in."

Quarless and Bostick both said after visiting Finley in the hospital that Finley is hoping to play football again. Finley let his fans know that he was home from the hospital in a Tweet on Thursday afternoon.

Jason Wilde  wrote:


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Zero2Cool (3h) : new site has recent topics and headlines now
buckeyepackfan (3h) : Micah wearing #1, Packers offered it to him. Curly only one to wear #1
Zero2Cool (4h) : Micah said he told Rasheed he's gonna get some practice. LT1 yeah?
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dfosterf (9h) : I think a Kenny Clark tribute is in order
Zero2Cool (17h) : new site, text editor gooder even on phone
beast (18h) : Oh yes, sometimes they make using a cellphone tough. I just wanted to make sure it was the correct article, & thank you for pointing it out.
jdlax (19h) : I can't believe one of my teams went out and wablammo just up and acquired one of the best players in the world overnight
dfosterf (29-Aug) : I do very much appreciate when Beast and others pick up my slack 😊
dfosterf (29-Aug) : I accept Beast's admonishment regarding my failure to link stuff I reference. I simply never learned to link from my cell phone.
beast (29-Aug) : That's not what your she said 😌, she said keep going 😏
Mucky Tundra (29-Aug) : Anything over 4 hours means he needs to get to the hospital
Mucky Tundra (29-Aug) : Someone might want to check on Hafley and make sure his erection has gone down
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : LaFleur texts "bleep me I cannot sit down"
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : YouTube has had me last hour or two lol
Mucky Tundra (28-Aug) : Ugh this trade happened right as my shift started and it's killing me
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : Parsons wore 23 in high school.
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : Packers just cost Lions more money with Hutchinson too huh
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : That is fair by me.
buckeyepackfan (28-Aug) : Kenny Clark is the player, 2 1st rnd picks
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : umm... what?
wpr (28-Aug) : I am stunned
Mucky Tundra (28-Aug) : RICKEY SCOOPS WAS RIGHT AGAIN!!!
Mucky Tundra (28-Aug) : ITS HAPPENING
buckeyepackfan (28-Aug) : DEAL IS DONE
buckeyepackfan (28-Aug) : MICAH IS COMING TO GREEN BAY!!!!!!!!!
wpr (28-Aug) : Me do-ed it gooderly,
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : Bahah, I was like WTF why isn't anyone posting on PP.com ... oops no one has permissions
dfosterf (27-Aug) : tell her I reckon
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Micah Robinson cut. Probable PS player tomorrow. Has to call mom back and t
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : New site so much better. Might make switch and deal with it.
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Mecole Hardman to our practice squad
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Nick Nieman from Texans our 5th linebacker. Special teams signing
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Looks like we signed Clayton Tune as QB3
wpr (27-Aug) : TKT people lose their minds over QB3. Point is almost none of them are ready that's why they are on the PS and other teams don't take them.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Unfortunately he doesn't seem ready to be an emergency QB.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : As a Canadian and a follower of Canadian University football. I am rooting for him
dfosterf (27-Aug) : I bet a lot of us will follow the Taylor Elgersma journey with interest. Personally, got a Kurt Warner vibe goin' on. I like him
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Not sure if either will be claimed though.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Tune or Hooker would make sense
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Clayton Tune cut by the Cards? Don't know if that's the guy, we shall see
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