Cam Gaddis says he cheated death.
The Tucson Sugar Skulls' starting cornerback returned home following the team's May 21 season-opening loss in Green Bay and went to the hospital for an examination of what he thought was a rib injury.
The diagnosis: Three broken ribs, and something much worse — a collapsed lung.
“The doctor told me I could’ve died. He actually told me he’s surprised I didn’t die, and that’s when it hit me,” Gaddis said. “It was scary when he told me that, because I didn’t know it was that serious.”
Gaddis will will at least the next eight to 10 weeks while he recovers. The Sugar Skulls play their second game of the season Sunday, when they take on the Duke City Gladiators at 5:05 p.m. in Albuquerque.
“We’re going to miss him. He’s a big part of our team and organization,” said Dixie Wooten, the Sugar Skulls' coach and general manager. “It’s tough, but I know Cam is going to be with us throughout the season at practices and games.”
Cam Gaddis
Gaddis' injury occurred on the opening drive of the third quarter in Green Bay's 42-36 win.
Blizzard quarterback Damion May heaved a pass from his own end zone down the field. Gaddis leaped to intercept the ball, but wide receiver Trevon Saunders wedged his shoulder pads and helmet in Gaddis’ rib cage.
“Not knowing where the receiver was, I just tried to extend my arms and go catch it and I guess my whole rib cage opened up when I got blasted,” Gaddis said. “As soon as I got hit, I knew something was wrong, because I couldn’t breathe. I got the wind knocked out of me and was like, ‘I can’t breathe.’ So, a trainer comes over to check on me, and me being the competitive football player that I am, I’m like, ‘I can’t just leave the game because the wind got knocked out of me.’”
Gaddis played the rest of the second half, and led the Sugar Skulls in tackles (five), forced fumbles (one) and pass breakups (one).
When the adrenaline wore off following the game, Gaddis knew he was in trouble.
“It was the worst pain I’ve ever had in my whole life. My ribs were hurting and I knew something was wrong,” Gaddis said.
He made matters worse by accompanying his teammates on the plane.
“The doctor said me going on that airplane and going through that air pressure with my lungs was very dangerous, and now I can’t fly for another two months,” he said.
The injury and long recovery has forced the 28-year-old Gaddis to think about his future. The Tucson native is married with two daughters.
“I was taking football for granted," he says, "and now this situation I’m in now has shown what’s more important in life.”
A Tucson native, Gaddis starred in Santa Rita High School's secondary under coach Jeff Scurran before playing two seasons at Pima College. While taking odd jobs and side hustles to make ends meet, Gaddis remained dedicated to his training regimen.
Gaddis landed his first indoor football gig with the Duke City Gladiators, Tucson's Sunday opponent, when the franchise was a part of Champions Indoor Football.
After a brief stint in New Mexico, Gaddis returned to Tucson and signed with the Sugar Skulls for the 2019 season. He also created creating a 7-on-7 travel squad called Gaddis Gainz Elite. His clientele has grown exponentially over the last few years, even during the pandemic. Gaddis is also Cienega High School’s defensive backs coach under new head coach Justin Argraves.
Gaddis' goals as a coach are simple: “I want to be a 100 times better coach than I am as a player. That’s my goal in life. If that’s what God has in store for me, then I’m going to take it and roll with it. Can’t argue or complain with that, because I’m breathing and that’s the most important thing."
Extra points
- The Sugar Skulls will have 100% capacity at every home game at the Tucson Arena this season. Masks are required to be worn by spectators. "After having worked diligently with Dr. Theresa Cullen, the Pima County Health Department and the Tucson Convention Center, we feel strongly that we have created a safe environment for our team to return to play and welcome fans back to the Boneyard," co-owner Cathy Guy said. Tucson’s home opener against the Iowa Barnstormers is set for Saturday at 6:05 p.m.
- Tucson is one of three teams in the IFL without a victory this season. The others: the Northern Arizona Wranglers (0-2) and Louisville Xtreme (0-3).
