Trent Dilfer to Undergo Neck Surgery on Monday

By Steve Irvine

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - November 17, 2024

UAB head coach Trent Dilfer will have surgery on his neck Monday morning but expects to return work on Tuesday and coach in the Blazers regular season home finale against Rice on Saturday.

“I've been told that I should be able to come in Tuesday and at least observe,” Dilfer said. “I don't know how I’ll feel, it's pretty serious surgery. But the surgeon is confident that I'll be able to move around, he wants me to move around. I'm sure I'll be in a great deal of pain. No more pain than I'm in now. There's no possible way I'll be in more pain than I am right now. It will probably be a different kind of pain. I’ll be careful with whatever medications they give me. I'm not gonna make a lot of decisions if I'm on pain meds or something.”

The problem began long ago for Dilfer, who played quarterback for 14 NFL seasons.

“When I did my NFL disability claim years ago, they noticed I had bulging discs in my back,” Dilfer said. “But I didn’t really have any symptoms. I’d get a stiff neck and stuff like that, but nothing terrible. The last couple of years, since I've been here, I've had episodes where it was bad, but between epidurals and medications, it's been manageable. I knew surgery was looming, so we had talked about having it this off season. I also have a shoulder that needs to be done, I have a torn labrum and rotator cuff. We talked about different scenarios where maybe I’d do both in the offseason. There’s never a good time with a coach. You’re recruiting or spring ball, there’s always something.”

Surgery was originally planned for Dec. 10, which is nearly two weeks after the regular season concludes and four days after the NCAA early signing period concludes. Dilfer thought he could manage the pain until the surgery but the pain began to intensify following UAB’s loss at Army on Oct. 12.  He said the pain during the last two weeks has “been unbearable” but he would not have opted for the surgery at this time if he was guaranteed to miss a game.

“That was one of the questions I asked last week,” Dilfer said. “I feel weak saying this, but I just can't handle the pain anymore. Nerve pain is brutal. I went in last week to meet with the surgeons and asked those questions. Like, is there a chance I'd miss a week? He goes, not unless there are complications. They’ve had a great deal of success with patients walking out that day and then moving around that week and going back to work slowly. I may have to sit here (at his desk) all week. I think I will actually be fine to at least add some value hopefully.”

UAB is 2-8 overall heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.