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Quinn trying to focus on football
UNC defensive lineman had brain surgery because of a tumor in high school
AP Photo
North Carolina’s Robert Quinn tackles N.C. State’s Russell Wilson.
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Published: November 27, 2008
CHAPEL HILL - Robert Quinn wakes up every morning in his dorm room at North Carolina knowing that he's a survivor who is extremely lucky to still be playing football.
About a year ago he had a brain tumor diagnosed while a high-school senior in Ladson, S.C., northwest of Charleston. The tumor was benign but is still in his body.
He underwent brain surgery that provided relief from the problems that the tumor was causing. He was ready for North Carolina's summer practice in early August, and by the third game had won a starting job on the defensive line, which he has not surrendered since.
Playing football helps Quinn keep his mind off concerns about further health issues.
"I try not to think about it," Quinn said. "When I'm on the field I don't pay attention to it. When I'm walking I look at the little things and make sure everything is all right with me."
Quinn, a 6-5, 260-pound right end, will be going after Duke's quarterbacks and running backs on Saturday. About this time last season, he had been experiencing headaches for quite some time but kept playing for his high-school team.
He blacked out one day in school. On a Sunday after his team played its biggest rival, Summerville High, he blacked out twice more, early in the morning.
A CAT scan revealed the tumor. It was about the size of a dime and was found, according to Quinn, on top of his spinal cavity.
The tumor was preventing spinal fluid from flowing, doctors told Quinn. And that was the reason he was passing out.
Quinn was sent to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. He knew he was in good hands but he was also 17 years old. He had no idea how the condition was going to affect the rest of his life.
"I didn't know what to think," Quinn said. "I was like, ‘Whatever it is, let's get it out so I can get back to doing sports.' "
Doctors operated on the right side of Quinn's head. He said that doctors told him that they decided to not remove the tumor because it was in a delicate area and moving it would be dangerous. A small hole was drilled near the tumor to allow spinal fluid to flow in a more normal fashion.
Quinn was in the hospital for a week. He missed a little more than a month of school. He had a shock at first when he was recovering before doctors told him that he could resume his athletics career.
"I remember a nurse told me I wouldn't play sports again," Quinn said. "I broke down in tears. I had been playing sports since I was young. I didn't know how to handle it. After a while I said, ‘OK, whatever. I'll make the best of it.'
"A couple of days later, a doctor came back and told me he'd see how things go before I was released.
"He said I would be able to play football again. That was all I needed."
Quinn was an outstanding prospect before the operation shortened his senior season. The college programs that had been seriously recruiting him stuck with him. All said that the scholarships that they had offered would be honored if he never played a down in college.
Coach Butch Davis of North Carolina was battling his own cancer scare. Davis had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosed after a growth was discovered in his mouth during a routine dental visit.
Davis was receiving treatment in Cleveland, where he formerly lived, and at UNC Hospitals. Quinn said that Davis' situation had no bearing on his decision, but that he was comforted in knowing that his coach was overcoming a similar health problem.
Quinn needs checkups every six months to make sure the tumor isn't growing and that no new problems have arisen. Davis said he's confident that Quinn is a future star and can help the Tar Heels build a superb defensive line in future seasons.
One matter became clear to Quinn after surgery. He had to play every game as if it were his last one. He didn't need to see Mark Paschal's career end earlier this week because of a spinal injury to understand what might happen to him.
"I always try to give it my hardest, no matter if I'm sucking air and trying to find the breath to see it through," Quinn said. "I try to give every play my hardest."
■ Bill Cole can be reached at bcole@wsjournal.com.
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