Sept. 19, 2005
ATLANTA–Georgia Tech quarterback Reggie Ball, hospitalized since Saturday morning due to a case of viral meningitis, was released from Emory Hospital Monday afternoon.
Ball has been cleared to attend classes Tuesday. He will be able to attend the Yellow Jackets’ practice Tuesday afternoon, with limited activity, Tech head coach Chan Gailey said Monday.
Ball’s status remains questionable for Saturday’s game between 15th-ranked Georgia Tech and fourth-ranked Virginia Tech at Blacksburg, Va. If he cannot play, he would be replaced by redshirt freshman Taylor Bennett for the second straight game.
Viral meningitis is an illness that is commonly found in college environments and is not to be confused with the more serious bacterial meningitis. Ball’s condition does not require quarantine and presents no danger to his teammates or the Tech community.
Ball, a junior from Stone Mountain, Ga., first became ill Friday morning and was treated at the Georgia Tech Student Health Center. While at the team hotel Friday night, his condition did not improve and he was taken to Emory Hospital Saturday morning.
The illness snapped a string of 27 consecutive starts for Ball, the 5-11, 195-pounder who passed for a career-high 320 yards last week against North Carolina. Ball was replaced by Bennett, and the lefthander threw for 142 yards and one touchdown in his first collegiate action to help Tech (3-0, 1-0 ACC) to a 28-13 victory over Connecticut.
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