Notre Dame senior Ryan Leahy thought nothing could stop coach Lou Holtz. Monday, he and the team learned that Holtz is suffering an apparent bone growth in his neck, and he needs surgery.
"It's pretty hard to take that," Leahy said. "Half the time you see your coaches as indestructible. Then you realize they're human."Holtz was scheduled to undergo spinal cord surgery at the Mayo Clinic today, leaving the struggling Irish football team under the command of defensive coordinator Bob Davie for at least three weeks.
Holtz was calm, Leahy said, but the team was shocked when Holtz told them of his condition Monday.
"We kind of just all sat there in disbelief," Leahy said.
Holtz is expected to remain at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., for about a week, university physician Dr. James Moriarity said. He said the coach could be out for three to four weeks.
"There's no reason for the operation not to be totally successful," Moriarity said.
Moriarity said Holtz apparently has a bone growth that has compressed the spinal cord. Doctors believe the growth has been developing over a period of time and is not the result of an injury. The surgery will enlarge the diameter of the spinal canal so the cord will be able to fit, Moriarity said.
Moriarity said Holtz has experienced weakness in hand and leg muscles for the past four weeks.
"On the morning of the Northwestern game (Sept. 2), he came to us for medical advice after he was unable to run onto the field with his team and climb the stairs to the locker room," Moriarity said.
Doctors in South Bend and the Mayo Clinic told Holtz, 58, that the condition required an immediate operation to avoid permanent spinal cord damage and possible paralysis.
"In 26 years as a head coach, I've never missed a practice, let alone a game," a Holtz statement said. "I've seen three doctors, trying to find the least bit of encouragement to delay this, but they all say it has to be done now."
"Everybody's kind of stunned that this could happen after all the other misfortune they've had in the past couple weeks," said John Lucas, editor of Notre Dame's daily newspaper, The Observer.