Palmer Injury a Tough Break

USC’s fears have been confirmed by X-rays.

Quarterback Carson Palmer broke his right collarbone when he lowered his shoulder to take a hit against Oregon on Saturday night, and will be sidelined at least six weeks--and perhaps sit out the rest of the season.

The Trojans’ 33-30 triple-overtime loss to Oregon put a dent in their record, but the crushing damage to their season was done when Palmer took a hit from Oregon defensive back Michael Fletcher on the next-to-last play of the first half, as Palmer lowered his right shoulder trying to get out of bounds.

“I was hoping for the best, but I knew it was broken,” Palmer said. “I’ve broken it before.”

Actually, Palmer has broken both clavicles twice before.

“When I was born, they couldn’t get me out, so they had to break both collarbones,” he said. “Then when I was 10, playing football with my brother. And I broke another one my sophomore year in high school--the exact same way, running out of bounds.”

It happened again Saturday.

“A guy was in my way, and I thought I could go over him,” Palmer said. “I wish I’d gotten rid of it or slid.

“Right when I felt it, I knew something was wrong. I was like, please, just let it be dislocated. I went back in to hand the ball off, and I had a pretty good idea it was broken. Then when I took my shoulder pads off and felt it with my hand I said, ‘It’s broken,’ and the doctor felt it and said, ‘Yeah, it is.’ ”

Palmer watched practice Sunday from a chair even though he was still on painkillers from the injury--a lesson in quarterbacking Coach Paul Hackett wishes Palmer hadn’t learned the hard way.

“It’s a very typical quarterback injury, only usually you’re not running when it happens--usually you’re not trying to run over somebody and be the fullback,” Hackett said.

“That’s his nature, and one of the things about him. He’s a tough guy and he loves to mix it up.

“I say something to him all the time when he does that. He doesn’t pay any attention to me. He keeps trying to run over guys. But he’s learned a very valuable lesson. It will keep him in good stead probably the rest of his career.”

The rest of this season, USC expects to turn to backup quarterback Mike Van Raaphorst, who started eight games last season before losing the job to Palmer, and passed for a career-high 227 yards and two touchdowns in relief Saturday.

John Fox becomes the backup, his career as a two-way player as linebacker and third-string quarterback probably over

Palmer is eligible to redshirt under NCAA rules after playing only three games, as long as he doesn’t return this season.

Hackett envisions him sitting out the year, and Palmer said he’ll do what’s best for the team, although a certain November date already has caught his eye.

“I want to play against UCLA,” he said. “Everyone is telling me I’m going to have to redshirt, but normally collarbones take about six to eight weeks, and that eight-week date is right on Nov. 20 which is UCLA, and I want to play. I don’t know if they’re going to let me, but I want to play. I can’t imagine having to sit out an entire year. It depends on where we are, and if we have a chance to go to the Rose Bowl.”

Palmer said the last time he broke his collarbone, the injury took only four or five weeks to heal, but doctors indicated this break is worse and will take longer. He also has been told that the repeated breaks are not the result of earlier ones.

Hackett said no decision will be made until doctors determine Palmer is healed, but his initial reaction is clear: Why lose a year of eligibility to come back for a few late-season games.

Palmer spent a sleepless night after the team arrived home from Oregon at 4:30 a.m. Sunday after the nearly 4 1/2-hour game ended when third-string Oregon kicker Josh Frankel kicked a 27-yard field goal to win it in the third overtime period. USC kicker David Newbury missed from 37 yards on the Trojans’ third overtime possession--one of three attempts he missed in a game marred by USC’s 21 penalties, a Pacific 10 Conference record.

Thinking of the game didn’t make it any easier.

“It’s tough. It’s the type of game you want to be in,” Palmer said. “You dream about overtime and stuff like that. But I’m proud of Mike. He did an unbelievable job.”

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