Jeff Morse Pickleball Comeback Story: Clinton resident Jeff Morse has become a champion pickleball player after undergoing major knee surgery at UConn Health. The 50-year-old athlete, who unknowingly tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) as a teenager, now holds national titles in both singles and doubles.
Injury and Surgery
Morse’s injury became worse after he attempted to race his son and suffered a severe fall.
“On the second step, my right knee literally appears over there, and I hit the ground. Lights went out. I hit my head, and I think 60 seconds later, I heard ambulances.”(Jeff Morse)
Tests revealed that his ACL had been torn for decades, and the fall caused new ligament damage. He turned to UConn Health orthopedic surgeon Robert Arciero for help.
“This is part of the ligament that he tore, and this is called the lateral collateral ligament,”.(Robert Arciero)
He said those ligaments are key for athletes because they keep the knee stable.
Morse praised the operation.
“The surgical team was amazing. They took a graph from my hamstring, and they twisted it so it’s double the normal size, and then they ran a blood supply to it, and it takes.”
Switching to Pickleball
During rehab, a close friend of Morse’s had a stroke and could no longer play tennis. The two switched to pickleball, and Morse quickly fell in love with the game. He has since won the U.S. Nationals in both singles and doubles.
“I don’t think about it at all. I can stop, start, I have more confidence on the right-hand side, which is the side I had work on, than the left.”(Jeff Morse)
Competing Against Top Players
News 8 recorded Morse in action at the Indian River Recreation Complex in Clinton, where he played against younger, skilled competitors.
Kyle Borawski, a 28-year-old professional pickleball player from Southington, said,
“It’s amazing playing against Jeff because he’s so fast for his age, and the fact that he essentially got his entire knee replaced, you’d never understand it’s almost like he’s got a bionic knee.”
Sam Lenz, a former competitive tennis player who now plays pickleball, agreed.
“He’s the hardest player I’ve ever played against, yeah, hits it so hard I have to be back at least ten feet to try to return it,”(Sam Lenz).
A Surgeon’s Perspective
For Robert Arciero, helping athletes return to sports is the most rewarding part of his work.
“Whether it’s college athletes or athletic adults like Morse, getting them back to doing what they love is the rewarding part of his job at UConn Health,” (Robert Arciero).
News in Brief: Jeff Morse Pickleball Comeback Story
Clinton athlete Jeff Morse returned to competition after UConn Health surgeon Robert Arciero rebuilt his knee. Following surgery and rehab, Morse switched from tennis to pickleball, where he now holds national titles. Fellow athletes call him tough to beat, crediting his speed and strength after surgery.
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