This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Sophomore linebacker Colby Jorgensen suffered a fractured neck and a slipped disc during BYU's football practice on Tuesday morning and was rushed into emergency surgery Tuesday evening after CT scans and an MRI revealed the injuries.
Jared Lloyd of the Provo Daily Herald first reported the seriousness of Jorgensen's injuries after speaking with his brother, former BYU linebacker Austen Jorgensen, on Tuesday evening.
Austen Jorgensen told Lloyd that his younger brother was in surgery and that it was expected to last five to six hours. Two rods were being inserted to stabilize the front and back of Jorgensen's neck.
Colby Jorgensen returned from an LDS Church mission to Calgary, Alberta, last winter and made the switch from tight end to linebacker during spring camp. He got married a week before camp started.
Jorgensen was injured while trying to stop a ball-carrier during the team's first scrimmage session Tuesday morning. The Cougars were wearing shoulder pads for the first time since camp began last Saturday.
BYU trainers immobilized the 6-foot-7, 228-pound player, strapped him on a gurney and carted him off the field.
He was immediately transported to a local hospital for testing and evaluation.
Jorgensen was on BYU's roster in 2011 but did not play due to a shoulder injury suffered in preseason camp.
At nearby Timpview High, Jorgensen was a two-sport star and ranked as the No. 15 all-around athlete in the nation by SuperPrep Magazine.