Orange County Register

About 45 minutes before kickoff of the USC-Stanford game today, Stafon Johnson spoke.

The Trojans tailback’s first public comments since suffering a life-threatening throat injury in late September came in a whisper. They were the words Johnson’s grandfather once spoke to him:

“God has a plan. Run, Stafon, run.”

Johnson otherwise let his doctors and his mother do the talking as they updated his condition before today’s game at the Coliseum.

The news is all good so far.

Johnson no longer requires feeding or tracheostomy tubes. He can eat solid foods. He can swallow and breathe on his own, although he will continue to do daily physical therapy to improve those functions.

He has had three procedures since the initial ordeal Sept. 28, when a bar fell on his neck in the weight room and the resulting injuries required seven hours of emergency surgery.

His doctors never have seen anything like the progress Johnson has made.

Dr. Ryan Osborne said the odds of Johnson swallowing on his own again were “slim to none.”

“However,” Osborne said, “due to his gladiator attitude toward rehab and a successful set of outcomes, he has regained the ability to swallow.”

Dr. Jason Hamilton said one huge factor in Johnson’s recovery is that he has followed his rehab regimen diligently. His fighting spirit has played a significant role, too.

“He’s never put those limitations on himself,” Hamilton said. “Anyone looking at him today or who’s heard his story would say it’s miraculous.”

“Because Stafon is a fighter,” said his mom, Kim Mallory, “he’s going to fight on through those things.”

Osborne said Johnson hasn’t begun exercising yet but should “in the very near future.”

Asked if he planned to play football at USC next season, Johnson hunched his shoulders and rotated his palms - the universal sign for “I don’t know.”

He already had said enough.

More from the USC blog:

• USC football: Pregame injury update
• USC football: Stopping Toby Gerhart
• USC vs. Stanford: And the winner is …
• USC football: McCoy will play; Williams, Ayles out
• USC football: Recruiting subtext Saturday
• USC football: Carroll vs. Harbaugh III
• Reading between the hash marks: Rick Neuheisel
• At least USC doesn’t have Kiffin’s headache
• Ex-USC coach Tim Floyd has a new NBA job
• USC football: Why Kennard is a strong choice

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