Jim Abbott lost his right leg above the knee after a collision during a football game at Withrow High School on Aug. 14. Ten days later, the veteran of more than 30 years of officiating says he plans to be back on the field.

Abbott was working as the umpire, stationed behind the defensive line, when a play broke toward him. A running back came through the line, a cornerback missed a tackle on the runner but connected with Abbott, and a linebacker arriving from the near side hit them both.

Abbott had both knees replaced in 2017. When the players struck him, the force turned his artificial right knee into what he described as a weapon, shredding tissue throughout his leg. He was transported to UC Medical Center.

"The force turned the right knee, the artificial knee, almost into, like, a weapon. It shredded anything and everything inside my leg, and I was a mess," Abbott told Local 12's Chris Arnold in an interview published Sunday, Aug. 23.

He was largely unconscious from Friday night through Sunday morning, Aug. 16, when he woke and asked his wife Becky whether surgeons had saved the leg.

They had not.

Doctors amputated above the knee. Despite the loss, Abbott expressed concern for the young players involved, saying he hopes they carry no guilt. It was football, he said. People get run into.

Abbott, a Cincinnati-based official who has worked multiple sports over his three-decade career, is a member of the Ohio Valley Football Officials Association and served on its board of directors. The OVFOA posted a statement on its Facebook page rallying support around Abbott, describing him as a longtime member who dedicated years to the association both on the field and on its board.

As of Sunday, Abbott remained at UC Medical Center waiting for a room at a rehabilitation facility. He described football as his bread and butter and said he intends to attack rehab with everything he has, with the goal of returning to varsity football with his officiating crew.

The Aug. 14 game at Withrow preceded the OHSAA regular season, which opened Aug. 21 when Withrow hosted Walnut Hills under head coach Anthony Berry.