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Wilton Speight’s dad gives his thoughts on how Purdue handled his son’s injury
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Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight suffered three fractured back vertebrae in that game in West Lafayette, Ind. against the Purdue Boilermakers, on Sept. 23. He has not played since.
Two days after the game, coach Jim Harbaugh spoke at length about the issues that concerned him about Purude: the lack of AC in the locker room, limited shower space and his disappointment in the medical facilities at Ross-Ade Stadium. Harbaugh described the table in the visitor’s locker room used for injured players as something “from the ’20s” and said he was disappointed that Speight had to be transported from the stadium for an X-ray, and also that a brace was not provided.
Purdue responded to those allegations and stated that their facilities are up to par with other B1G schools. But this week, Bobby and Martha Speight, Wilton’s parents, spoke out about just how bad Purdue’s facility was.
“What an absolute train wreck,” Bobby Speight said to the Detroit News.
“Wilton gets hit and didn’t move for a little while, which is a parent’s worst nightmare,” Bobby Speight said. “The police took us down but were unable to open the door. Someone who appeared to be a member of the food staff realized what was going on and let us in. When that door opened, even in high school I had never been in a visiting locker room that bad. It was dark, dingy, dirty.”
There was even no X-ray capabilities in the stadium.
Instead, Wilton sat in the front seat of a van provided by Purdue and driven by a student to be transported to the student health clinic, about two blocks from the stadium.
“We take off with no escort,” Bobby Speight said. “We can’t get through because there are barricades up and (the van driver is) directing people to move them.”
“They take us in the basement,” Bobby Speight said. “It’s very dimly lit. Halfway down the hall, there’s a (radiology) technician. Wilton is in (partial) uniform and still wearing cleats, and she asks Wilton his name. The (van driver) says he needs an X-ray. (The technician) looks at me and says, ‘I need your insurance card.’”
Michigan’s team doctors decided that Wilton should be transported to a local hospital. However, Purdue’s officials couldn’t decide which hospital to send him too.
“And we waited 20 minutes for the rescue squad team,” he said. “At that point, Wilton says he has tingling in his legs and is in substantial pain. The EMT riding in the back of the ambulance asks us if we need an IV or vital monitoring and Trinh replied, ‘No, but we need him stable and immobile. This is a back injury.’ We stop at a light, and the Michigan doctor asks how long is it going to take, and (the EMT) said 30 to 45 minutes on game day.
“Our doctor asked him, ‘Couldn’t we please turn on the siren and make better time?’ And (the rescue squad member) said, ‘Don’t you get smart with me. You said this is a non-vital trip.’ Our doctor said, ‘I don’t care what I told you, this boy has tingling in his legs. Turn the siren on and go.’
According to Bobby Speight, there was no sense of urgency at all.
If this is in fact true, this looks highly, highly terrible for Purdue.