Dante Love

Last updated

Dante Love
No. 86
Position Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1986-03-19) March 19, 1986 (age 38)
Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight179 lb (81 kg)
Career history
College
High school Withrow High School
Career highlights and awards

    Dante Love is an American former college football player. He played as a wide receiver for the Ball State Cardinals at Ball State University until he suffered a cervical fracture during a 2008 season game. At the time of his career-ending injury, Love was the 2008 season's national leader in receiving yards, and he ranked as Ball State's career kick return yards leader and second-leading receiver in terms of yards and number of receptions.

    Contents

    Early years

    He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to Maxine Love on March 19, 1986. Love attended Withrow High School, where he played football as a quarterback during his last two school years. As a senior in 2004, the team posted a 10–1 record and secured the Southwest Ohio Public League championship. That season, Love threw for 2,094 yards and 20 touchdowns and rushed for 970 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was subsequently named an All-City and All-Southwest Ohio District player, Ohio North-South and Ohio East-West All-Star, and the Withrow High School most valuable player. Love was also named the City Offensive Player of the Year and The Cincinnati Enquirer Division III Player of the Year. [1]

    College career

    In 2005, Love enrolled at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana and played as a true freshman wide receiver on the football team. [1] That season, he saw action in all eleven games and recorded 19 receptions for 185 yards and three touchdowns. He also made 19 carries for 89 rushing yards. [2] On special teams, Love returned 22 kick-offs for 545 yards, which included a 94-yard return for a touchdown against Ohio. He led the team in all-purpose yardage with 74.7 yards per game. At the end of the season, he was named co-recipient of the John Hodge Award for the team's most outstanding freshman player. [1]

    In 2006, Love played in all twelve games, to include seven starts. [1] He recorded 52 receptions for 735 yards and four touchdowns. Love also made 19 carries for 83 yards and one touchdown and returned 13 kicks for 216 yards. [2] He ranked second on the team in terms of all-purpose yardage with 86.2 yards per game. [1]

    In 2007, he saw action in all 13 games and started in 11. [1] He recorded 100 receptions for 1,398 yards and ten touchdowns. He returned 49 kick-offs for 1,100 yards, to include a 100-yard touchdown return against Central Michigan. [2] Love broke the Mid-American Conference (MAC) single-season records for both all-purpose yards with 2,690 and kick-off return yards with 1,100. [1]

    Going into the 2008 season, Love had recorded 2,318 receiving yards in three years to become the second leading Ball State receiver behind only Dante Ridgeway. He was also the leading Ball State kick return specialist with 1,862 yards. Love had played in all 36 games during his career and made at least one reception in 35 of them. [1]

    In 2008, Love played in each of the first four games. In the season opener against Northeastern, he made nine receptions for 171 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 22 yards and another touchdown. Against Navy, he again had nine receptions for 165 yards and two touchdowns. He made six carries for 37 yards and one rushing touchdown. Against Akron, he caught seven reception for 97 yards. [2]

    Injury

    On Saturday, September 20, for their fourth game, the Cardinals traveled to Bloomington to face the Indiana Hoosiers. At that point, Love led the nation with 144.3 receiving yards per game. [3] Love made two catches for 25 yards in the first half. With 10:45 left in the second quarter, quarterback Nate Davis threw a short 2-yard pass to the right for Love on a swing route. He made the reception and ran to the outside and along the sideline. An Indiana linebacker grabbed onto Love's shoulder pads from behind, which caused him to lower his head as he pushed forward for more yards. An Indiana cornerback, Chris Adkins, made the tackle from the front and Love fell to the ground with the ball being knocked loose. Hoosiers safety Nick Polk recovered the fumble and returned it for a touchdown. Love remained on the ground for several minutes and reported that his legs were numb. He had suffered a cervical fracture of his spine. After about fifteen minutes, he was placed on a spineboard and taken to the locker room by a motorized cart. Love was then transported by ambulance to Ball Memorial Hospital and then by helicopter to Methodist Hospital of Indianapolis. Doctors showed Love x-rays of his fractured neck and informed him that he may eventually walk again, but would never be able to play football. That night, doctors performed a five-hour surgical procedure to stabilize his spine. After the surgery, Love was able to move his arms and legs. [3] [4] [5]

    Ball State went on to win the game against Indiana for the school's first-ever victory over a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) conference school. Head coach Brady Hoke called it the biggest win in school history during a greatly abbreviated post-game press conference. Hoke cut it short in order to visit Love in the hospital. [5]

    While unable to play, Love regained the use of his limbs, and on October 25, he returned to assist the team's coaches during the 2008 season. After the season, Hoke resigned as head coach to take the same position at San Diego State and was replaced by offensive coordinator Stan Parrish. Parrish said that he would hire Love as a graduate assistant for the 2009 season as he works towards his undergraduate degree. [6]

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Desmond Howard</span> American football player (born 1970)

    Desmond Kevin Howard is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, where he was a two-time All-American, including a unanimous All-American selection in 1991, winning the Heisman Trophy. He was selected fourth overall in the 1992 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins. Howard spent most of his career on special teams as a return specialist and holds the NFL single season record for punt return yardage. With the Green Bay Packers, Howard was named Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXXI after setting an NFL record for punt return yards and returning a kickoff for a 99-yard touchdown, the longest return in Super Bowl history at the time. To date, he is the only special teams player to receive the award. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Dante Hall</span> American football player (born 1978)

    Damieon Dante Hall is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He is nicknamed "the Human Joystick" and "the X-Factor". He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL draft. Hall played for the Chiefs for seven years before being traded to the St. Louis Rams in 2007. Hall was ranked the 10th greatest return specialist in NFL history on NFL Network's NFL Top 10 Return Aces.

    Damian Deron Harrell is a former arena football wide receiver. He played college football at Florida State University.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Leon Washington</span> American football player and coach (born 1982)

    Leon Dewitt Washington Sr. is an American former professional football player who played in the National Football League (NFL) as a running back and return specialist and made 2 Pro Bowls and 2 All-Pro teams during his career. Washington holds many kick return records for both the Jets and Seattle Seahawks.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Ohio State Buckeyes football team</span> American college football season

    The 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented Ohio State University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Jim Tressel. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium. The team finished the season with a win–loss record of 12–1, having been defeated by Florida in its final game, the BCS Championship game, and ended the year ranked second.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Keenan Burton</span> American football player (born 1984)

    Keenan Burton is an American former professional football wide receiver. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He played college football at Kentucky.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 BCS National Championship Game</span> College football game

    The 2008 BCS National Championship Game was played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Monday, January 7, 2008, and featured the No. 1 and No. 2 college football teams in the United States as determined by the BCS Poll to decide the BCS National Championship for the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season.

    The 2007 Ball State Cardinals football team competed in football on behalf of the Ball State University during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They won the majority of their games, led by their quarterback Nate Davis who threw 20+ touchdown passes connecting to receivers Dante Love and Darius Hill for more than 10 touchdown passes combined.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 Michigan Wolverines football team</span> American college football season

    The 2004 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their tenth season under head coach Lloyd Carr, the Wolverines compiled a 9–3 record, outscored opponents by a total of 370 to 279, and tied with Iowa for the Big Ten championship. Having beaten Iowa during the regular season, the Wolverines received the Big Ten's berth in the 2005 Rose Bowl where they lost to No. 6 Texas by a 38–37 score.

    The 1993 Independence Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Indiana Hoosiers at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana on December 31, 1993. The 18th edition of the Independence Bowl was the final contest of the 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season for both teams, and ended in a 45–20 victory for Virginia Tech. The game was the first bowl victory for Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer, and began a streak of 27 consecutive bowl appearances for Virginia Tech.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Ball State Cardinals football team</span> American college football season

    The 2008 Ball State Cardinals football team represented Ball State University in the Mid-American Conference during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Brady Hoke, in his sixth season at Ball State, was the head coach until December 15, when he resigned to become the head coach at San Diego State. He was succeeded by offensive coordinator Stan Parrish, who coached the team during the GMAC Bowl and beyond. The Cardinals' home games were played at Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Indiana.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Michigan Wolverines football team</span> American college football season

    The 2010 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Michigan played its home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan and competed in the Big Ten Conference. The season was the first since the renovation of Michigan Stadium, begun in 2007, was completed. The Wolverines were led by third-year head coach Rich Rodriguez. After its week 10 win against Illinois, Michigan became bowl eligible for the first time since 2007, and later accepted a bid to play in the Gator Bowl against Mississippi State on January 1, 2011, losing 52–14. The Wolverines finished the season sixth out of 120 Division I FBS teams in total offense, 110th in total defense and 112th in passing defense. Michigan finished with an overall record of 7–6, 3–5 in Big Ten play. After the season, head coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff were dismissed on January 5, 2011.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Wisconsin Badgers football team</span> American college football season

    The 2010 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers, led by fifth-year head coach Bret Bielema, were members of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium. They finished the season 11–2, 7–1 in the Big Ten to be crowned Big Ten co-champions along with Michigan State. Due to being ranked the highest of the three schools in the BCS rankings at the end of the season, the Badgers earned the conference's automatic bid to the Rose Bowl, where they were defeated 21–19 by TCU.

    Ray Fisher is a former American football wide receiver. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL draft but did not make the team after the 2010 preseason. He played college football at Indiana University and high school football at Glenville High School.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Michigan Wolverines football team</span> American college football season

    The 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team, sometimes known as Team 132 in reference to the 132-year tradition of the Michigan football program, represented the University of Michigan in the sport of college football during the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Tandon Doss</span> American football player (born 1989)

    Tandon Mic Doss is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football for the Indiana University Hoosiers. Doss was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL draft.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Wisconsin Badgers football team</span> American college football season

    The 2011 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers, led by sixth-year head coach Bret Bielema, are members of the Leaders Division of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium. They finished the season 11–3, 7–2 in Big Ten play to be Leaders Division co–champions with Penn State. Due to their head-to-head win over Penn State, the Badgers represented the division in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game where they defeated Legends Division champion Michigan State 42–39 to become Big Ten Champions. They were invited to the Rose Bowl for the second consecutive year where they were defeated by Oregon 38–45.

    The 2012 Allstate Sugar Bowl was the 78th edition of the annual postseason college football bowl game known as the Sugar Bowl. It featured the Michigan Wolverines and the Virginia Tech Hokies on Tuesday, January 3, 2012, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The game was the final contest of the 2011 football season for both teams and was the third game of the 2011–2012 Bowl Championship Series (BCS). The game ended with 23–20 Michigan victory in overtime. Michigan represented the Big Ten Conference as the at-large team from the conference, while Virginia Tech represented the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) as its at-large team. The game was televised in the United States on ESPN and an estimated 9.6 million viewers watched the broadcast live. This was the first Sugar Bowl since 2000, as well as only the sixth since World War II and the tenth overall, not to feature a Southeastern Conference (SEC) team. This was because the top two SEC teams, the LSU Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide, played each other in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game, also held at the Superdome. This was the last SEC-less Sugar Bowl until January 2021, when the Ohio State Buckeyes representing the Big Ten faced off against the Clemson Tigers representing the ACC

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Tavon Austin</span> American football player (born 1990)

    Tavon Wesley Austin is an American former professional football wide receiver. He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers, receiving first-team All-American honors twice and was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Cordarrelle Patterson</span> American football player (born 1991)

    Cordarrelle Patterson, nicknamed "Flash", is an American professional football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). A versatile utility player, he plays running back, wide receiver, kickoff returner, and occasionally on defense. Patterson played college football for the Hutchinson Blue Dragons before transferring to the Tennessee Volunteers, where he earned first-team All-SEC honors. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft. He has also been a member of the Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, and the Atlanta Falcons.

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Dante Love, Ball State Athletics, retrieved February 21, 2009.
    2. 1 2 3 4 Dante Love Stats, ESPN, retrieved February 21, 2009.
    3. 1 2 A fortunate player loses his career but not his legs, USA Today, November 4, 2008.
    4. ↑ Lewis scampers for 164 and four TDs, runs Ball State to win, ESPN, September 20, 2008.
    5. 1 2 After five-hour back surgery, Ball State WR Love moving arms, legs, ESPN, September 21, 2008.
    6. ↑ Graham Watson, Love to coach while finishing degree, ESPN, February 24, 2009.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.