Baylor QB Bryce Petty thinks he’ll play Saturday with broken back
You’d never know Baylor starting quarterback Bryce Petty has a broken back. It’s almost like he’s in denial. Apparently, he thinks he’s going to play in Baylor’s game against Northwestern State on Saturday. Yet the way he talks about it, the starting quarterback could be right.
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“That’s my goal towards the rest of the week,” Petty said, via DallasSportsBlog.com. “You can’t do anything worse to it, so if it’s bearable, I’ll do it.”
Petty fractured two of the transverse processes in his back during Baylor’s 45-0 rout against Southern Methodist University. He sustained the injury during the first drive on the game but threw for 161 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also rushed for a score.
The injury isn’t fully healed, but Petty explained that he won’t worsen it by appearing in Saturday’s game.
“It’s like a pinkie,” Petty said. “You can’t do much except just brace it up and wait for it to heal. Football is football, you have pain. Might as well get rewarded for it. I’ve watched for too long, put on the headset too many times for me to sit if I can be out there.”
Petty was considered a potential Heisman candidate. If he misses games, his candidacy will be affected considerably. And while he did it with a broken back, his stats from his first game didn’t help him much either.
If he’s not 100 percent for Saturday’s game, head coach Art Briles said that backup Seth Russell will start in Petty’s place. The sophomore isn’t a slouch. He has thrown for 551 yards and four touchdowns in his seven game appearances.