Monti forced to step away from football
During a current stretch in his life where recalling information and concentration is a daily challenge, Bryce Monti is still able to remember what he calls his most serious concussion during a junior season cut short due to head injuries.
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"The most serious one I suffered this year was definitely the worst one of my career," Monti told BadgerBlitz.com Monday evening. "It was in the fourth quarter and I actually got hit by my teammate with us both going for a tackle. I got up and saw two scoreboards and I was definitely out of it.
"The next play on film they run a zone play to the right and I'm running to the left sideline; I'm completely out of it. I actually did get a pick on the next series but the return was very subpar. I caught it and fell over just because I didn't want to fumble the ball."
While Monti speaks in an upbeat tone about that particular injury, much of what has transpired since is frightening to hear from the 17-year-old. Monday, the 6-foot, 206-pound in-state linebacker from Hortonville, who played just six games this fall, officially stepped away from the game of football due to recommendations from multiple doctors.
"I've gotten to the point where I met with a few neurologists and they've all told me the same thing: If I were to get another one (concussion) there's no guarantee I'd be able to function on a daily basis," said Monti, who estimated he's had five serious concussions and at least four more less significant head injuries he's played through during his career. "I got one this year on Sept. 12 and I sat out one week. I came back but I came back way too early. I played two games and then got another one.
"Ever since then I've had headaches and nausea just about every single day. Some days I have to use my GPS to get home from school because I get lost and I don't know where I am. Every day I go to school and I just try and get through it. I'm not grasping onto the things I need to because I have trouble concentrating and I feel sick all the time. I get home and I usually just go into my room and shut all the lights out and go to sleep. When I'm not sleeping, I constantly feel the symptoms of the concussions."
Monti's final contest was a 55-27 win over Marshfield in early October. Since then, him and his family have been seeking out advice from a battery of specialists.
"I saw a few different neurologists, specialty eye doctors and specialty ear doctors. All of them pointed towards me giving up football based on the results they were getting," Monti, an all-conference selection as a junior, said. "Just because the symptoms have been going on for so long and haven't gotten better. It wasn't just one doctor, it was serval doctors from each individual category. All of them said the same thing.
"It's probably the toughest thing I've had to face so far in my life just because everything I've done and worked for has been for football. Now that that's been taken away, I've just been doing some soul searching. My coaches took it pretty hard because they look at all their players as their own kids. It was a tough moment today (Monday) but I feel like I have everyone's support."
That support systems involves both parents and a community that has quickly rallied around Monti. In addition, many of the other top prospects from within the state and around the country have reached out since the news was made public.
"My parents were upset that my goals and dreams were taken away, but their main focus is to get me healthy and back to living like a normal teenager again," said Monti, who was being recruited by Appalachian State, Army, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas State, Marshall, Northern Illinois, Tulsa, Western Michigan, Buffalo and Wisconsin, among other schools. "My mom, especially, she's relieved that I'm listening to the doctors and not trying to fight this thing too much. I have a good support system around me. All the doctors just said it's going to take time. Tomorrow I could wake up and feel like one million bucks, but it also could be years to get back to normal. Say in four months from now I start to feel better, there's still no way I can come back because it's only going to get worse just based on the history.
"I got to play for the best coaches in the state and I got to play with the best teammates in the state in front of the best fans in the state. My favorite memory has to be beating West De Pere my sophomore year for the conference championship. That's probably one of the biggest games in my high school's history. It was crazy and I'm just glad I got to be a part of it."
Though the ability to play the game he dedicated so much of his life to has been taken away, Monti still wants to be involved with football in some capacity.
"It's going to be really tough this fall but I still have every intention of being around the guys and being on the sidelines," he said. "But not being able to help my team is going to be very hard. I'm always going to be around the game just because I have so much love and passion for it.
"I'm going to go to college once I get healthy and hopefully become a graduate assistant somewhere. I could see myself getting into coaching or strength and conditioning. I just want to still be around the game as much as I can."
Concussions and player safety have emerged as a hot-button issue within all levels of football. And as the public learns more about the long-term effects of head injuries, Monti is looking forward to returning to a normal life.
"The only thing I would have to say to younger kids is to not come back until you're fully healed," Monti said. "I really think that's the thing that did me in. I got the really bad one against Oshkosh North and I wanted to get back on the field so quickly. Never did I think that coming back too early would jeopardize me from ever playing again. Get fully healthy and then come back, otherwise you can really do some damage.
"My plan is just to keep fighting. This has been a really difficult time for me but I think I'm a strong person. I have my whole life ahead of me and I'm excited about."