A Louisville Football Player Suffered A Similar Injury To Kevin Ware In 2006, And Now He's Playing In The NFL

Although the compound fracture suffered by Louisville basketball player Kevin Ware yesterday was one of the worst leg injuries we've ever seen, there is reason to believe he can make a full recovery.

After the game, Louisville coach Rick Pitino pointed to former Louisville player Michael Bush.

In the first game of the 2006 season, Bush suffered a double-fracture of his leg. He had a rod put in his leg, and the doctor who performed the surgery described the injury as, "About as bad as it gets. 10 out of 10."

But Bush was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 2007. After sitting out a year, he came back in 2008 and has been a productive player ever since. He now plays for the Chicago Bears.

Another example of someone coming back from this type of injury is ex-Louisville basketball player Edgar Sosa. In 2011, Sosa suffered a double open fracture of his leg (the same injury as Ware) while playing for the Dominican Republic. He now plays in Spain for Blancos de Rueda Valladolid.

Doctors told the Louisville Courier last night that there is no timetable on Ware's recovery, but he is expected to play basketball again one day.

It sounds far-fetched considering the aesthetics of the injury, but the cases of Bush and Sosa show that there's a precedent for it. Ware is only a sophomore, so it's conceivable that we'll see him in a Louisville jersey again at some point.

Bush said on Twitter that the Ware play brought back flashbacks for him, adding:

I can't even get myself together. I don't even wanna watch the rest of this game. His life just change

— Michael Bush (@michaelbush29) March 31, 2013