San Jose State’s Parry Has Foot Amputated

San Jose State special teams player Neil Parry had the foot of his right leg amputated, nine days after he suffered a compound fracture during a game.

Parry, 20, injured his right leg on a kickoff return in San Jose State’s Oct. 14 game against Texas El Paso when a teammate rolled over his leg. Despite several attempts to save Parry’s leg, an infection developed. San Jose State’s team physician announced Sunday that an amputation was necessary.

“The attending physicians were successful in halting the spread of the severe bacterial infection in Neil’s right leg,” team physician Martin Trieb said Monday. “Controlling the infection permitted the surgical team to preserve his right knee and the majority of his leg.”

Parry, from Sonora, underwent surgery Monday morning at Stanford Medical Center. It was the latest in a series of procedures at the hospital, and Trieb said Parry will remain hospitalized indefinitely.

Parry is the younger brother of Spartan linebacker and team captain Josh Parry.

Neil Parry’s injury severely damaged a major artery and a nerve in the bottom of his foot, and swelling threatened to damage the remaining artery carrying blood to his feet.

He underwent major surgery a week ago in an attempt to restore circulation to the foot, but a significant infection apparently developed during the procedure.

“The infection could not be controlled, and tissue destruction by the bacteria was so extensive and rapidly progressing that an amputation of the affected area became necessary,” Trieb said.

Parry was a part-time special teams player for the Spartans in 1999 and this season.

“[Parry] is friends with everyone on this football team and has countless other friends at San Jose State and at home in Sonora,” Spartan Coach Dave Baldwin said. “His teammates have prayed for him every day after practice. They want to see Neil back with them as soon as possible.”

A fund has been established to defray Perry’s family’s expenses resulting from his hospitalization, thanks to what school officials termed an “overwhelming” public response to his injury.

Parry is the second Northern California college football player in the last two seasons to have part of a leg amputated. UC Davis running back Sam Paneno had the lower part of his right leg amputated in 1999 after he ruptured an artery and dislocated a knee during a game.