Former Ohio State star dealt with serious injury

Bosa could go No. 1 in draft even after serious injury

Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS

Nick Bosa found himself in the news again last week when Zion Williamson sprained his right knee in the opening minute against North Carolina.

The sight of his left shoe tearing apart and Williamson grabbing his right knee unleashed feverish debate over whether Duke’s freakish freshman forward should ever again play for Mike Krzyzewski’s Blue Devils.

Many wondered if he should just turn his attention to the pros like Bosa did six months ago when he got hurt in Ohio State’s third game of the season. Instead of rehabbing for a return to the Buckeyes, Bosa began training for the combine, the draft and an NFL career.

Bosa figures to get drafted higher than his father, John, who went 16th overall to Miami in 1987, and maybe even higher than big brother, Joey, the third overall pick by the Chargers in 2016.

Williamson is the consensus top pick in the NBA draft this summer.

So, Bosa was asked at the NFL scouting combine Saturday what advice he’d give Williamson, who missed his third straight game Saturday with a mild knee sprain.

“I mean, just lean on the people that you love and go with your gut,” Bosa said. “I faced a pretty serious injury. I had surgery that took me out for the rest of the year, so kind of the choice was made for me.”

Bosa dealt with something much more serious than Williamson did — a torn bilateral core muscle, an excruciating injury that occurs when the rectus abdominus or adductor muscles are torn off the pubic bone. Surgeons fix it by inserting a mesh cone into the tear to plug the hole formed in the muscle.

“It’s literally the muscle used to breathe, to cough, to go to the bathroom,” Bosa said.

Bosa got tangled up with Horned Frogs left tackle Austin Meyers on a third down pass rush on Sept. 14 in Arlington, Texas, and stayed on the turf.

“I know what a serious injury is,” Bosa said. “I knew my season was in jeopardy and I had a doctor confirm that.”

Bosa had gotten off to a terrific start, collecting a team-high 14 tackles, including six for loss, and four sacks when he got hurt.

“It was the year that I been waiting for my whole career,” he said. “I kind of split reps my freshman and sophomore year. Coming in I was going to be the guy. ... It just got torn away from me. It’s something that I’ll always think back to.”

That first night was the toughest, he said.

“When I got home from that TCU game I was lying in bed, I could barely get up,” Bosa said. “It was one of the darkest moments of my life so far.

“So, for me to just talk to my family and let them bring me up and just know that my life is still good and I still have amazing blessings and a bright future, that’s what helped me get through it.”

Five days later, he underwent surgery and in mid-October, Bosa had decided he wouldn’t return.