Lying on the turf of Gerald J. Ford Stadium, T.J. McDaniel saw his foot pointed in the wrong direction.
SMU’s starting running back had just fractured his fibula and dislocated his ankle on the first play of the Oct. 3 game against Memphis. He ripped the foot back into place before the medical team came out, trying to release the pressure built up in his leg.
By the time he was being carted off the field, McDaniel heard doctors talk about surgery. It is the standard protocol for a severe injury like this. And, for several days, he was resigned to that reality.