Virginia Tech professors, please excuse Greg Nosal if he's not taking notes in class today. Sometimes it's just tough to write when you've had part of a finger severed:

At some point in the game, Nosal got one of his pinky fingers caught between two helmets. The tip of the finger was severed - from the middle of the fingernail up. Tech's medical staff found that piece inside Nosal's glove.

For most of us, that would have been the end of our day, if not our career. Not for Nosal, who had the finger wrapped, took some pain meds and got back on the field, helping the Hokies to a 45-21 win over Central Michigan.

He was pulled after the third quarter with Tech up, 31-7 and was sent to the locker room to have the rest of his pinky sewn back on. Whether you think he's crazy or not for sticking it out and playing after such a gruesome injury, Nosal proved to his coaches teammates and fans that he's one tough customer.

Very few people understand what Nosal went through on Saturday. One of them is Ronnie Lott: