Post by Me on Jul 9, 2005 18:48:11 GMT -5
Sexton to miss '05 with Lyme disease
Wyatt Sexton, the Florida State quarterback who was found disheveled and disoriented on a city street last month, has been diagnosed with Lyme disease and will miss the upcoming season, the university said Saturday.
FSU coach Bobby Bowden said the university would seek a sixth year of eligibility for Sexton, who has already used his redshirt season. He is the Seminoles' only experienced quarterback.
A specialist in the field of Lyme disease, Dr. S. Chandra Swami from Hermitage, Pa., said Sexton's organs have been infected and recommended intensive antibiotic therapy over a period of months.
The disease is curable, but the estimated recovery time for his advanced stage of infection is several months. If untreated, the disease can cause joint swelling and brain inflammation.
The Seminoles will now choose between a pair of redshirt freshmen, Drew Weatherford and Xavier Lee, as the starting quarterback for their nationally televised season opener Sept. 5 against Miami. The team begins its preseason practice Aug. 9.
"It may come down to flipping a coin as to who starts the season," Bowden said.
Xavier Lee or Drew Weatherford, in-state products who both came to FSU last fall with impressive credentials.
Weatherford, from Land O'Lakes, is the more polished of the two but is recovering from offseason ankle surgery.
Lee, from Daytona Beach, is an exceptional athlete who has been compared with Michael Vick — not for his speed but for his ability to turn a bad play into a big one. But FSU coaches saw enough improvisation with Rix and are a little more comfortable with the predictability of Weatherford. The players, however, have seen more of Lee this summer because he has been healthy.
— The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Wyatt Sexton, the Florida State quarterback who was found disheveled and disoriented on a city street last month, has been diagnosed with Lyme disease and will miss the upcoming season, the university said Saturday.
FSU coach Bobby Bowden said the university would seek a sixth year of eligibility for Sexton, who has already used his redshirt season. He is the Seminoles' only experienced quarterback.
A specialist in the field of Lyme disease, Dr. S. Chandra Swami from Hermitage, Pa., said Sexton's organs have been infected and recommended intensive antibiotic therapy over a period of months.
The disease is curable, but the estimated recovery time for his advanced stage of infection is several months. If untreated, the disease can cause joint swelling and brain inflammation.
The Seminoles will now choose between a pair of redshirt freshmen, Drew Weatherford and Xavier Lee, as the starting quarterback for their nationally televised season opener Sept. 5 against Miami. The team begins its preseason practice Aug. 9.
"It may come down to flipping a coin as to who starts the season," Bowden said.
Xavier Lee or Drew Weatherford, in-state products who both came to FSU last fall with impressive credentials.
Weatherford, from Land O'Lakes, is the more polished of the two but is recovering from offseason ankle surgery.
Lee, from Daytona Beach, is an exceptional athlete who has been compared with Michael Vick — not for his speed but for his ability to turn a bad play into a big one. But FSU coaches saw enough improvisation with Rix and are a little more comfortable with the predictability of Weatherford. The players, however, have seen more of Lee this summer because he has been healthy.
— The Associated Press contributed to this report.