Purdue Quarterback Elijah Sindelar Leads Team to Win With a Torn ACL

Purdue QB Elijah Sindelar didn't let an injury stop him from playing an amazing game.

Elijah Sindelar. Photo by Mike Langish/CSM/REX/Shutterstock (9165847p)

This is something you don’t get to see every day. In the Foster Farms Bowl game against Arizona State, Purdue quarterback Elijah Sindelar did not only lead his team to 38-35 win, but he also has done it with a torn ACL in his left knee. The nature of the injury was revealed by Purdue’s coach Jeff Brohm after the game.

For somebody to play almost four games with that, three and a half, that’s amazing,” – he said. “I couldn’t be A, prouder of his performance, but to perform with that serious of an injury? How many people can do that? It’s less than 1 percent.

Sindelar ended up being voted the offensive MVP, throwing 33 for 53 passes for 396 yards and ending the game with four touchdowns.

The young quarterback torn his ACL in November, but played through it and helped his team reach the bowl. Elijah Sindelar isn’t the first Purdue’s quarterback to play through this kind of injury. In 2012, Robert Marve played three games including the bowl game with torn ACL. Huston Texans emerging quarterback star Deshaun Watson did the same for Clemson when he was a freshman in 2014.

After finding about the injury, coach Brohm intended to sit Sindelar, but the player convinced him to change his decision.

My first thing was no,” – said Brohm. “There’s no way he should play. I think he’s had his knee operated on more than a few times. I thought if he can wear that brace and keep it stable and if he feels like he can go, we can give it a try. I was very leery at first, but Elijah wanted to do it. We went through our trainers and doctor. He was able to pull it off.

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