But the fact that Petrino was even at Razorback Stadium on Tuesday, hours after being released from the hospital following a weekend motorcycle crash, was remarkable.
The 51-year-old spoke for the first time since Sunday night’s accident, minutes before the Razorbacks opened practice. Petrino observed the session in the press box, cleared to do so by doctors after being released from the hospital late Tuesday morning.
“I’m very fortunate,” Petrino said. “I feel very lucky to be here and be in good health.”
Petrino said he was returning home after an evening ride on the scenic road, a favorite of local motorcyclists. He had ridden in the area before but remembers noticing the sun in his eyes moments before the accident.
“I remember coming around the curve, I was noticing the sun was going to be in my eyes the rest of the way home,” Petrino said. “And then there got to a point where I was not going to be able to maneuver the turn.
“It seemed like 15 seconds where I said, `Oh no, here I go.”’
State police spokesman Bill Sadler said Tuesday that Petrino’s accident report wasn’t ready for release yet, but Petrino said he ended up in the ditch following the crash. Petrino said a passing car was waiting when he climbed from the ditch and took him to meet his state police escort before the two went the rest of the way to the hospital.
Razorbacks running back Knile Davis found out about the accident via Twitter when he woke up Monday morning. Davis immediately texted Petrino to express his concern, and he and his teammates weren’t surprised in the least to see the coach address the team Tuesday and return to practice.
“That’s just him,” Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson said. “He works hard, and he cares a whole lot about what he does.
“… You’ll never have to question that.”
by K. Voight
No comments:
Post a Comment