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OSUsushichic

Fired up! Ready to go!
Here is a story about a fire that occurred in Ann Arbor yesterday. A bunch of football players lost their home, including Burgess and Crable:

U-M football players escape fire

Offensive lineman admitted to hospital for smoke inhalation

By Angelique S. Chengelis / The Detroit News

ANN ARBOR — Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr said he felt as if he were watching a movie.

But these were not special effects.

It was all too real, all too frightening.

A fire early Wednesday morning destroyed a three-level home that housed several Michigan football players. The players were sleeping when the fire started at 4 a.m.

“It was hard to believe you were really seeing what was happening,” said Carr, who praised Ann Arbor firefighters’ efforts. “We got there (at 4:45 a.m.) and the kids were literally running around in their underwear. They lost their IDs, wallets, checks for rent, everything.”

Three people from the home and two firefighters were hospitalized with injuries. Sophomore offensive lineman Jake Long was hospitalized at U-M Medical Center for smoke inhalation. Long is in the intensive care unit, Carr said.

“We hope and pray Jake is OK,” Carr said. “He’ll be in (the hospital) a couple days. Thank God they’re all OK.”

Michigan football player Pat Sharrow suffered minor injuries after jumping from a second-story window. An unidentified woman who also was in the house was treated for smoke inhalation.

Ann Arbor Police Lt. Michael Logghe said investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire, which started on the front porch at 4 a.m.

“We have no clue as to the origins of the fire,” said Logghe, who said investigators will first try to rule out arson. “We won’t rule out anything yet.”

The other Michigan football players living at the home were Adam Kraus, Grant DeBenedictis, Prescott Burgess, Shawn Crable, Brett Gallimore, Will Paul, Max Pollock, Jim Presley and Garrett Rivas.

Rivas, a sophomore kicker, was sleeping on the first floor when he was awakened at 4:10 a.m.

“I escaped one here,” said Rivas, who left through a back door. “I was praying it was a nightmare. It was a rude awakening, to be sure. We got up, and it was panic at first and then everyone was able to get out.”

It took some time for Rivas to find his way out of the burning house.

“My room was covered with smoke clouds. I went out of my room, and I saw a couch, door, chairs and shutters all torched. I had to go back and busted through a door. Then I realized we had freshmen (DeBenedictis and Gallimore) in to train and they were staying with us, so I went back in to make sure they got out. They came out covered with soot.”

Kraus, an offensive lineman, was the first player Carr saw when he arrived. Michigan assistant coach Fred Jackson already was on the scene and had notified Carr about the fire.

Carr said Long had an extremely difficult time escaping the house. Long first tried to leave through the front door, but the porch was in flames.

“He had to go upstairs, and remember, he’s 340 pounds, and he jumped out a second-floor window and landed on Pat Sharrow’s car,” Carr said.

Jackson noticed Long and immediately summoned emergency personnel.

“You couldn’t recognize Jake,” said Carr, who said Wednesday afternoon that Long was sedated, and it was unclear if he had any broken bones. “He was completely covered by all the soot. If you can imagine what it must have been like for him to go through that to be covered with all that soot.”

Sharrow, according to Carr, had to kick out an air-conditioning unit from a window to escape from the second floor. He also jumped out to safety.

Rivas said all of the players tried to help each other out of the house.

“After it was over,” Rivas said, “we all got together outside the house and spent some time together.”

Carr and his staff spent Wednesday trying to find accommodations and clothing for the players. The NCAA has an emergency fund that allows schools to help students in the event of such an emergency.

“They lost their personal belongings,” Carr said, “but when you look at the big picture, they didn’t lose anything, thankfully.”

You can reach Angelique S. Chengelis at [email protected].
 
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I hate all those fockers, but I certainly don't wish anything like this on them. Hopefully, that guy in the hospital recovers so the Buckeyes can whoop his ass at the 'Shoe with the rest of his teammates in November.
 
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It is too bad that this happened, and I hope that everytihng is OK and that they get the support they need. I am hoping they all get it straightened out quickly and get their lives back together.


And therefore I hope we can kick their ass full-strength :biggrin:
 
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ClancyWiggum said:
Any chance Carr pulls a John Goodman move from Revenge of the Nerds and kicks all of the freshman nerds out of their dorm so that these scUM players can live there?

:lol:

jgnerd.jpg
 
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Wow... first I heard of the fire... thank goodness all the kids got out... I hope the lineman recovers from the hospital.

I think somebody should notify Coach Tressel, and see if tOSU could send some clothing over to help out (OSU clothing of course :wink2: )...
 
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