Commodore Coach Johnson To Undergo Surgery Wednesday at VUMC 2/26/02

Vanderbilt Football Head Coach Bobby Johnson is scheduled to undergo neck surgery Wednesday at Vanderbilt University Medical Center to repair a herniated cervical disc.

Dr. Dan Spengler, chair of the VUMC Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, is scheduled to perform the surgery Wednesday morning.

Johnson, 51, expects a recovery period of up to two weeks, a timeline that places him back by March 12 when his Commodore football players conduct the first of 15 spring practices. The workouts continue through the traditional Black & Gold Scrimmage on April 6.

Johnson has been troubled by the painful neck for almost two months. He decided to get an evaluation when the pain intensified in recent weeks. Tests revealed a herniated disc between the fifth and sixth vertebra. It is one of the most common locations for disc herniations due to the frequent bending motion occurring between the second and seventh vertebra of the spine.