A Collegiate Wide Receiver’s Successful Return From Injury

After Lucas Perez-Segnini returned home for the summer following his junior year playing football for Hamilton College, he suffered a severe ankle fracture / dislocation.
 
“I was training with a local quarterback and was running a curl route when I planted on my foot and immediately knew something was wrong,” recalled Lucas. “When you’re staring at your foot facing the wrong direction, it’s hard not to wonder if your career just ended.”  
 
While he had sustained injuries in the past, this was the first time he got hurt without a trainer present. After calling an ambulance, he went immediately to Greenwich Hospital. He was seen by Dr. Paul Tomaszewski, ONS sports medicine surgeon, who was on call that day.
 
“I knew it was bad when they asked me if I have another year of eligibility left,” said Lucas, who had started at wide receiver for the past three years. “This was my senior year, so this was huge; it was my whole life. I thought it was just a dislocation, but then they told me I had also fractured my left ankle.”
 
Dr. Tomaszewski referred Lucas to Dr. Andrew Pao, foot and ankle surgeon at ONS.
 
Due to the severe nature of the injury, Dr. Pao recommended surgery, with an approach that helped Lucas feel confident. “He didn’t sugarcoat anything but also didn’t lean into the doubt. He laid out what needed to happen to get me on the field as fast as possible. Dr. Pao’s clarity and belief was exactly what I needed.” Together, Dr. Pao and Lucas developed a week-by-week recovery protocol designed to maximize his chances of returning to football while minimizing time away from the field.
 
After learning that recovery could take three to six months, Lucas became determined not only to return for his senior season—but to do so without missing a single game.
 
“Nothing was going to stop me from stepping on that field,” he said. “Too many people were counting on me. I wasn’t going to let them down, and I wasn’t going to let myself settle for anything less.”
 
Lucas underwent surgery in early June 2024, almost three months prior to his first game. The surgery consisted of an ankle arthroscopy, fixation of the ankle fracture with plate/screws and repair of multiple torn ligaments around the ankle.
 
The surgery was a success. After four weeks on crutches, Lucas began physical therapy and rehab. “I was starting from scratch by learning to walk again while my body was fighting me every step of the way,” explained Lucas. “There were hard times in the beginning of recovery but it’s mostly mental. I kept showing up and every morning I reminded myself I had something to prove.”
 
Less than 11 weeks after surgery, Lucas went back to school in August and didn’t miss a single practice.