APLions defensive end Willie Young smashed the middle finger of his left hand so badly while making a tackle three weeks ago against the Packers that he talked to doctors about amputating it.
“Two weeks ago I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s get rid of it,’” Young told the Detroit News. “But it’s a little better now, so maybe I will keep it.”
Young was wearing the glove when the injury happened, and he could feel that something was seriously wrong with his finger. But he said he didn’t want to see how bad it looked, and he didn’t want to come out of the game, so he just kept the glove on and kept playing. When the game was over and he took the glove off, there was a cut at his top knuckle so deep that it went down to the bone. He also has nerve damage, and the only treatment has been soaking it in disinfectant.
Young hasn’t missed a game or even a practice even though the finger is still killing him.
“I just tape it up and eat the pain,” he said. “On a scale of one to ten, [the pain is a] 9.9999.”
Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham told Young the story of Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott cutting off a part of his pinkie finger so that he could get back on the field more quickly.
“He’s got the ugliest finger I ever saw,” Cunningham said of Young. “I told him that Ronnie Lott cut his off, so cut it off.”
It appears that Young won’t have to resort to that.
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Cunningham is technically his boss and it seems inappropriate to tell an employee to cut his finger off in order to play better or faster?
Cut your own finger Cunningham. You D stinks.
Nice to see a guy playing for the love of the game and not a paycheck. I dont know anything about how this guy plays but I would take him on my team any day. Didn’t even miss a practice.
William Clay Ford is Young’s boss, not Gunther. Gunther can say whatever he wants.
D hasn’t been all that bad either, unless of course you count the 4th quarter, but lets not get technical.
Dude is tough, but that’s for sure.
What ? You mean to tell me he won’t even have his own finger cut off ? What a wuss !
I’d love to see the NFL’s incident rate. What are the odds OSHA ever steps in?
If he was on a perennial title contending team, then sure, lop that sucker off. But dude, your on the Lions, the last place Lions. Keep the finger.
no wonder the lions are so terrible.. there own coordinator is telling his Dlinemen to cut his finger off…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Dude is going to Need that finger to wave at Cunningham and the Lions if he is traded to a real team.
You need two middle fingers to flip off people you really can’t stand!
LOLions —-
Will the madness ever end in Motown?
Can this franchise get anymore dysfunctional?
He decided against it when he leared you cannot drive in Detroit without a middle finger!
If Cunningham is so quick to advocate amputation Young better hope he never gets kicked in the nuts.
The Lions wish all us Lion’s fans would cut our middle fingers off. Anyway, that’s pretty hardcore.
Gunther Cunningham should retire. That comment makes him sound like a senile and demented old man. How about we cut off your brain Gunther? It’s twisted out of shape and you obviously aren’t using it.
Now thats gangster.
100% Gladiator.
yeah, because it crossed none of your minds that Gunther was just havin’ fun????
It’s ridiculous how sensitive so many people are. Gunther was clearly kidding around and so many on here are all bent out of shape about his comment.
Damn, that takes some balls! Let Avril walk, if for no reason other then this I want to see Young get his chance to start!
Gunther was joking around you mouth breathers.