Junior Andre Jolly suffered torn patella tendons in both of his knees during the Baker University homecoming football game. As a result of the injuries, which called for surgery, the defensive end spent three days in the hospital.

During the game, Jolly recovered a fumble by MidAmerica Nazarene University quarterback Trent Hedlund, only to be brought down by an illegal defensive maneuver.

Following his fumble, Hedlund horse-collar tackled Jolly, which cost MNU a penalty and Jolly the rest of his junior season.

A horse-collar tackle occurs when a defender yanks a player to the ground by grabbing the back-inside of his shoulder pads.

After athletic trainers and paramedics assessed his injuries, Jolly was taken off the field on a stretcher.

Jolly has received heartening words from his friends and teammates at Baker, many of which have been displayed on social media.

One teammate, sophomore Jesse Austin, tweeted, “My prayer and thoughts go to @Oh_So_Jolly2. The best D-End in NAIA football. You will bounce back!”

In response to the love and encouragement he has received, Jolly tweeted, “Words can’t explain how blessed I am for the love of my friends, family & fans. Really thinking about it brings me to tears…”

Jolly also tweeted that he had surgery at Lawrence Memorial Hospital on Sunday and will endure rehab as he begins the recovery process.