High school quarterback who suffered concussion gives fans a "thumbs-up"
MINNEAPOLIS — For every parent of a student-athlete, this is their worst nightmare.
Their son or daughter, lying unconscious on the field like what happened during Friday's state football playoffs.
For the Voss family, Friday, started out as a big day for redemption.
As the Jackson County Central football team took on Barnesville at U.S Bank Stadium in the state semifinals, JCC was led by sophomore quarterback Roman Voss.
"We were looking forward to a victory and we were ahead the first half," his father Rod said.
Rod Voss said things took a turn in the 3rd quarter when Roman's head hit the turf hard.
For nearly 20 minutes, Roman was down being treated by medical staff as both teams took a knee.The crowd was stunned, then a round of applause as Roman gave a thumbs up as helpers wheeled him off the field and into an ambulance.
That ambulance took him to the hospital for what turned out to be a severe concussion.
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"When you have a concussion, your brain takes energy away from doing thousands of different processes on a day-to-day basis," said Dr. Parker Hanson, Twin Cities Orthopedic Sports Medicine Physician.
Hanson, who specializes in concussions, believes taking it easy is crucial for recovery.
"If you find yourself in a situation whether it be screens, noises, cognitive activities causing symptom elevation, you have to have an exit plan because if you don't you can be delaying your concussion recovery," Hanson said.
Hanson says keeping track of your symptom checklist will help as you recover.
Even though the game didn't go as planned, the Voss family say they still won.
"We wanted a victory, but we also got a victory today that he's okay," Tricia said.
Now, they're set up, for a major comeback.
Roman wasn't ready for an interview, but he flashed a smile, and his parents say he got some Chick-fil-A for the drive home.
He's focusing on resting, recovering, and getting ready to make the three-hour trip up from Lakefield next year to U.S Bank Stadium.
After two years of losing to Barnesville, Rod says they are optimistic for the future.
"I hope we can win it next year," Rod smiled.
