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Month after surgery, DeSouza already eyes quick return

Exactly a month ago, Pete DeSouza sat in a Washington hospital less than a day removed from surgery to repair two broken legs suffered in a motor scooter accident on Maryland’s campus.

The redshirt freshman tackle was fortunate the damage --- catastrophic as it was  --- wasn’t worse. His season ended, but not his career. Not if he has his way.

DeSouza met with reporters Tuesday for the first time since his accident. He’s lost weight --- down from 310 pounds to 288 pounds --- and is getting around on crutches. He’s completing two classes in the coming weeks, and is already plotting his comeback to be part of the Terrapins’ resurgence in the future.

“I expect myself to be back for spring ball --- maybe not fully practicing, but taking part in the drills,” DeSouza said.

Such a prospect was unlikely on Oct. 21, when DeSouza was riding his scooter on Campus Drive in the center of campus. A driver made a left from Union Drive --- the road that goes in front of Cole Field House --- toward the Stamp Student Union and collided with DeSouza.

The upper body damage was minimal; DeSouza had only a scratch above his eye. But both of his tibias and fibulas were broken.

“I did look at my feet one time when I sat back down and I kind of knew I was done for the season,” said DeSouza, who is still wearing walking boots on both feet.

It was even more jarring for teammates who quickly arrived . Quarterback Danny O’Brien, who considers DeSouza one of his closest friends, learned of the accident while spending extra time after practice in the Gossett team house.

O’Brien and offensive lineman Pete White rushed to the accident scene about two blocks away and were stunned at what they saw.

“It was like a slinky,” O’Brien said. “It was one of those things that didn’t feel real."

DeSouza underwent nearly 12 hours of surgery the next day. Coach Ralph Friedgen presented him with the game ball from Maryland’s emotional 24-21 defeat of Boston College three days after DeSouza’s accident.

The rehabilitation process soon began, and DeSouza set about his recovery with the support of friends and teammates.

“Early on, I had a couple nightmares,” DeSouza said. “At times, it gets emotional, but I have guys who are around me and people around me who are good people who I can talk to."

It’s also soothing to know his career isn’t in jeopardy. DeSouza might not be ready for contact in the spring, but he said doctors told him he should play football again. Already, there are signs of bone growth around the rods surgeons inserted into both legs.

“There should be no limitation,” DeSouza said. “They said my legs should be stronger than before. From a lot of people I’ve talked to that have titanium rods, they say they’re a lot quicker."

DeSouza returned to the team house just before Maryland boarded its buses for a trip to Virginia on Nov. 12. Emotional teammates were ecstatic to see him just three weeks after his accident.

Since then, he’s become a regular in Gossett again, so much so that it’s assumed he’ll be around at team functions.

“Coach Friedgen yelled at him for being late,” linebacker Alex Wujciak said. “He’s trying to crouch down in the team house ‘Pete are you late?’ He’s been around, he’s been going to treatment and going to all the meetings. It’s awesome to have him back."

DeSouza was on the sideline before Saturday’s loss to Florida State, and watched the 30-16 setback from the team house terrace. But as significant a step as that is for him, it’s particularly important for teammates to have the chance to catch up after last month’s jarring events.

Those moments don’t necessarily occur during practice or in football-related activities.

“So meaningful,” O’Brien said. “That’s one of my best friends on and off the field. To be able to go back to his dorm and just hang out with him, watch TV and joke around with him like old times is good. I’m just thankful he’s here."

DeSouza plans to be for a while, too. He has three years of eligibility remaining, and his already quick recovery means he might be a factor for playing time sooner than initially expected.

“I think he’s ahead of being on track,” Friedgen said. “Pete think he’s going to be ready for spring practice. I don’t see how that’s possible, but they told me he wouldn’t be able to put weight on that left leg for three months, but he’s already putting weight on that leg. A lot of our prayers have been answered. If his spirit has anything  to do with his recovery, I think he’ll be ready as fast as humanly possible."

As for DeSouza, whose backpack helped cushion the blow to his head during the accident, he knows how valuable his second chance at football --- and life --- really is.

"A lot of people think I could have passed away,” DeSouza said. “Obviously, it’s great that I can play football again because not a lot of people would have that opportunity. I have to take advantage of that.”

DeSouza to be released from hospital on Friday

Maryland tackle Pete DeSouza is expected to be released from the hospital Friday, three weeks after undergoing surgery on two broken legs.

Coach Ralph Friedgen said DeSouza is hoping to complete two courses this semester while continuing his rehabilitation.

Friedgen, who has visited with DeSouza on several Sundays since DeSouza was involved in an Oct. 21 on-campus scooter accident, said the redshirt freshman does not have a cast or sutures remaining in his legs. DeSouza has kept up with his teammates through text messages and watching games on his computer.

"He's a very likable kid, and the kids really love him," Friedgen said. "I'm hoping we get him back. We miss him right now."

DeSouza faces a lengthy rehab process --- one that's already underway.

"He told me he doesn't want to be in a walker," Friedgen said. "They've even been getting him up and taking him to the gym to work on his upper body. ... He's over there lifting so he can get around on crutches."

The progress aside, Friedgen knows DeSouza's recovery is far from over.

"It's not going to be easy for him, it really isn't," Friedgen said. "I worry about when the weather gets bad and things get icy."

Daily DeSouza update

With Maryland right tackle Pete DeSouza out of the intensive care unit at a Washington-area hospital, questions turn to a lot of things.

More than half of Terrapin coach Ralph Friedgen's Thursday meeting with reporters was devoted to DeSouza's status and discussing motor scooters.

Life as a 21st century coach, indeed.

The basics on DeSouza: Friedgen said doctors believe the redshirt freshman will be OK after six-to-nine months of rehabilitation. The program is also trying to figure out how DeSouza will handle his academics for the next two months; one possibility is taking a slew of incompletes, while another is trying to complete a few courses online. In either case, Friedgen said the program would probably apply to the NCAA for a waiver for the 24-credit minimum needed each year to remain eligible.

Friedgen said DeSouza's mother hopes he can return campus quickly. For now, he's starting to put some weight on his right foot even though both of his legs are covered in casts.

"The mother is wanting to get him back to school," Friedgen said. "She thinks hes matured a whole lot. ... I just told her 'Let's see how mobile he is before we make that decision.' He's 6-7, 310-pound guy on crutches. How much [weight] is he going to be able to put on [his feet]?"

Friedgen also offered the most complete --- and unsettling --- description yet of DeSouza's injuries. DeSouza suffered a broken tibia and fibula in both legs when he was hit while riding his motor scooter Oct. 21 on campus.

"The left leg was pretty well destroyed," Friedgen said. "It was like a slinky. Multiple fractures. The right leg was one break right through it."

Friedgen also said DeSouza's backpack flew up and ultimately provided a cushion for his head when he landed during the accident --- one of the few slivers of good fortune tucked into the entire ordeal.

Cartoon upsets Terps in wake of DeSouza accident

Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said right tackle Pete DeSouza left the intensive care unit of a Washington hospital, a few days after undergoing nearly 12 hours of surgery on Friday to repair a fractured tibia and fibula in both legs.

Friedgen said DeSouza was stabilized and was "doing very well."

DeSouza was injured Thursday when a car slammed into him while he riding his motor scooter on campus. Friedgen said he visited with DeSouza for a half-hour on Saturday, and more than two dozen players attempted to make the trip to visit their teammate as well.

Tuesday, though, the Terrapins were upset about something else --- a cartoon in the Diamondback, the student newspaper, depicting a woman asking a football player decked out in uniform including a helmet, "I didn't think there was a game today ... "

The player replies "There isn't. But I'm afraid to hurt myself on my scooter."

"I just saw it before I came down here," said safety Kenny Tate, who was DeSouza's teammate in high school at DeMatha. "I just couldn't even comment after seeing it. It was just ... I don't know what their message was, if they were joking. What was the point of it? That was a serious matter and I don't think if that happened to them, they would want people laughing about it."

Linebacker Alex Wujciak said he usually reads the paper, which is distributed for free on campus, each morning when he has breakfast at the team house. He said word of the cartoon spread quickly among players today as they encountered each other.

"It's pretty messed up, honestly," Wujciak said. "Here's a kid, it's not his fault, it's a freak thing that happened. It was an accident, and he's lucky really to be alive. We all went there to see the accident. If you saw his scooter, you would have thought there was more than two broken legs."

DeSouza, a redshirt freshman, started three games this season for Maryland (5-2, 2-1 ACC) before the accident. The Terps won 24-21 at Boston College on Saturday as DeSouza recovered from surgery, and the team planned to present him a game ball in the hospital the next day.

DeSouza's injury was particularly jarring to Maryland's offensive line, which is typically close as a unit.

"A lot of guys are upset about that. I'm partially upset about that," tackle R.J. Dill said. "That's all I want to say about that. I don't want to get into  a trash [talking] contest with the Diamondback. It's upsetting --- and I don't know if that was the girl's intent. ... What I took from the cartoon was an insensitive comment, especially at this point in time in the context [that exists] after what happened to Pete, I don't think it's appropriate. That's all I want to say about it."

Friedgen said he spoke to the Terps about keeping DeSouza in mind for the months to come, but there's little question the last six days were emotionally draining. Friedgen said the cartoon "only keeps arousing emotion in our football players" and could be a galvanizing force as Maryland prepares to play Wake Forest on Saturday.

"We're very lucky to have Pete with us," Friedgen said. "Trust me. ... The positive thing is none of his joints were injured. They're anticipating he's going to have a full recovery. So that's a miracle in itself. If he landed on his head, he probably wouldn't be here. We're pretty sensitive to the kind of jokes that are written about him."

Updating DeSouza

Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said he planned to visit injured right tackle Pete DeSouza in a Washington hospital on Sunday night and said the redshirt freshman is still struggling two days after surgery to repair a broken tibia and fibula in both legs.

DeSouza was injured Thursday in a motor scooter accident on campus.

"He's in a lot of pain, and he's kind of in and out," Friedgen said. "I think some players want to see him, but from talking to his mom ... he likes seeing them, but he just can't deal with them for more than a couple minutes. In a day or two, he'll be better. They were very happy with the operation and they feel like it will be a complete recovery. It was pretty severe. He was very, very fortunate he didn't have any head trauma."

DeSouza underwent nearly 12 hours of surgery on Friday. He was in the intensive care unit over the weekend and was expected to remain in the hospital for a few more days.

Friedgen also had one of the more interesting tales in the program about learning of DeSouza's injury.

The coach arrived home early Thursday evening and quickly went to bed. Friedgen left his cell phone downstairs and ignored the house phone when it rang (as he said he often does).

Meanwhile, his wife, Gloria was tutoring on campus when the accident occurred. She tried to contact Friedgen, then got creative when he didn't answer his phone.

"She actually called a neighbor to come bang on the door and that actually woke me up to come answer the phone," Friedgen said.

Terps win one for DeSouza

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. --- Ralph Friedgen has plans for tomorrow afternoon thanks to his team's 24-21 victory today at Boston College.

The Maryland coach plans to visit right tackle Pete DeSouza, who suffered two broken legs in a motor scooter accident on Thursday, and present him with the game ball of the Terrapins' victory.

Read more about it here at NCAA FanHouse.

Maryland tackle Pete DeSouza suffers two broken legs in scooter accident

Maryland right tackle Pete DeSouza suffered two fractured lower legs in a motor scooter accident on campus, the school said this morning.

DeSouza is undergoing surgery today and is expected to remain in an area hospital for the rest of the weekend. He will miss the rest of the season.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Pete and his family, and we’ll help them anyway we can,” coach Ralph Friedgen said in a statement released by the school. “We hope he makes a speedy recovery.”

DeSouza started the last three games for the Terrapins (4-2, 1-1 ACC), who visit Boston College (2-4, 0-3) on Saturday.

With DeSouza out, there are two logical ways for Maryland to reshuffle its offensive line with minimal disruption. One is to elevate second-stringer Nick Klemm, who has played mostly on Maryland's field goal unit this season, to a starting role. The other is to shift R.J. Dill back to right tackle and start true freshman Max Garcia at left tackle.

Friedgen said several times recently Garcia is close to being ready to play in games.

Terps right tackle Pete DeSouza injured in motor scooter accident

Maryland right tackle Pete DeSouza suffered non-life threatening injuries in a motor scooter accident tonight in College Park, a team spokesman said.

DeSouza was involved in an accident shortly after 9 p.m. on campus when the scooter he was driving collided with a car. DeSouza was transported to an area hospital.

The redshirt freshman has started the last three games for the Terrapins (4-2, 1-1 ACC), who visit Boston College (2-4, 0-3) on Saturday.

(ADD, 11:57 p.m.: Maryland just issued a three-paragraph release on DeSouza's accident, notably this description of the event, which occurred in front of the Stamp Student Union:

"DeSouza was operating a motor scooter traveling westbound on Campus Drive when a motorist turned left in front of DeSouza.  DeSouza’s scooter collided with the vehicle causing DeSouza to go down."

The release, issued jointly by Maryland's athletic department and the campus police department, said the driver of the vehicle was issued a traffic citation. The school said there will be no further updates tonight).

Terps offensive line notes entering Florida International

Those paying particularly close attention to tomorrow's Maryland-Florida International game will probably keep an eye on Pete DeSouza, the Terrapins' first-time starter at right tackle.

DeSouza is playing in only his third game, and it's common sense that the Golden Panthers will try to attack a perceived vulnerability.

More often than not, a redshirt freshman of any kind making his first start will draw that sort of attention. Still, coach Ralph Friedgen is optimistic about DeSouza's chances.

"Pete's had a very good week of practice," Friedgen said. "I think Pete got his feet wet the last two games he's played. I'm hoping the offensive line comes out and well this week. I think they practiced very hard and had a very good week of practice. Now I'd like to see them come out and have some success, especially running the football."

While DeSouza acclimates himself to starting, this could be an opportunity for Max Garcia to get his first action at left tackle. Garcia has yet to play and would become the fourth true freshman to appear this season if he gets in.

Linebacker David Mackall and safeties Desmond Kearse and Matt Robinson have already appeared in games.

If Garcia plays, it would be the sixth time in nine years Maryland used a true freshman on the offensive line. The others: Stephon Heyer (2002), Scott Burley (2004), Jared Gaither (2005), Bruce Campbell (2007) and Bennett Fulper (2009).

Still, it remains a bit of an if for Garcia --- at least this week.

"I think if the opportunity presents itself," Friedgen said. "We just have to see how the game goes. But I think he's ready to play. He had a pretty good week of practice and actually seemed better at tackle than guard. i think a lot of that depends on how the game goes and how well [R.J.] Dill's doing, too."

Terps reshuffle with Gilbert gone for season

Out goes Justin Gilbert. In comes Pete DeSouza.

Only time will tell if this isn't as harrowing a trade for the Maryland football team as it might seem.

Gilbert, the sophomore left tackle who impressed with his consistency in his first three starts, was last for the season Saturday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He buckled and the fell to the ground with virtually no contact in the third quarter of a 31-17 loss at West Virginia.

R.J. Dill swung over to left tackle. DeSouza, a redshirt freshman playing in his second game, stepped in at right tackle.

And now Maryland hopes he can improve and mature.

Quickly.

"Justin was really playing well for us," coach Ralph Friedgen said. "I said earlier we were very pleased with him and my major concern was losing an offensive lineman and being forced to play a redshirt freshman again. But DeSouza has played and played well. We got some situations Saturday that will help him. I was very pleased with the way he practiced yesterday. We'll just have to do the best we can do."

Friedgen deserves credit for acknowledging under trying circumstances what he's admitted since the start of camp: Maryland could be in serious trouble if it needed to dig beyond its first six on the offensive line.

DeSouza, based on the early returns of the season, was the No. 7 lineman.

The problem isn't DeSouza's talent; Maryland seems high on him for the long term, and he could be the Terps' right tackle of the future. It's how quickly he can get up to speed in the short term.

"I think he's made a lot of progress," Friedgen said. "I don't know how to say where his game is because he's only played in two games, but obviously I think he has a bright future. He's a big kid, he has decent feet. I think he's a right tackle; I don't think he's a left tackle. Being put in the situation he was on Saturday with the crowd noise and different fronts he saw, he made some mistakes but he also did some good things, too. I think he'll improve the more he plays. It's just we're back to playing a redshirt freshman."

With DeSouza elevated to a starter's role and Nick Klemm now his backup, true freshman Max Garcia becomes the backup left tackle.

There were other ways for Friedgen to approach the situation --- namely moving Paul Pinegar from center to left tackle and installing Bennett Fulper as the new starting center --- but he said he offensive coordinator James Franklin and offensive line coach Tom Brattan concluded this decision would prove fruitful down the road even if there were some issues to contend with now.

"I'm trying to get our best players on the field," Friedgen said. The other issue is right guard because Justin Lewis is having trouble with his knee. I just felt like we could move Pinegar there [to left tackle], and I don't know if that would have made us any better because we would move Fulper to center and now we wouldn't have an adequate backup at right guard. In the long run, I think this was the best move."