Fan favorite Marc Mariani tweeted this picture of himself on crutches Saturday night and is using social media to communicate with fans as he recovers from a compound fracture to his left leg that likely ended his season.

Via Twitter, he said his surgery went well and is staying positive as he starts the recovery process but sports medicine experts gave Fox 17 a realistic look at his chances of returning to the gridiron.

     In an instant, the Titans faithful fell silent, when Pro-Bowl return man Marc Mariani suffered a compound fracture in his left leg during Thursday night's pre-season game against the Cardinals at LP Field.

"Very, very disappointed," said Titans head coach Mike Munchak.  "I feel terrible for him and you know, just going out onto the field and seeing the pain that he was in."

The injury was so devastating, even Cardinals players joined thousands of fans sending messages to Mariani through social media.

"I hope and pray for a speedy recovery," tweeted Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald. "You will bounce back better then ever."

Through his Facebook page Mariani responded, saying, "I feel truly blessed to have so much support and I realize I won't be doing this alone!"

Doctors at Vanderbilt Medical Center say fractures can heal in as little as three months, but that doesn't necessarily mean an athlete s ability will completely recover.

"If he were not to get all his motion back or not to get all his strength back, it certainly could affect his speed," said Dr. Andrew Gregory, associate professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation.  "I think for the NFL it really comes down to speed.  If he doesn't get his speed back, he s not going to make it back."

Dr. Gregory did not treat Mariani but has treated many similar cases.  He says in fractures where the bone pierces the skin, there is a risk of infection, leading to additional surgeries and sometimes removal of tissue, and in some cases, players never return at all, bringing one NFL star in particular to mind.

"It reminded me a lot of Joe Theismann's injury," Gregory said.

Theismann was a Redskins quarterback in the 1980s, whose career was ended by a similar fracture but even he joined Mariani's social media supporters.

"Shame about Marc Mariani of Titans,"Theismann tweeted.  "He'll come back. Only 25.  Wish him well."

Fox 17's Facebook fans also joined the conversation

"Don't let this keep you down," Krista Corns commented on the Fox 17 Facebook post . "You will come back better and stronger. Titans nation loves you, misses you, and can t wait to see you run it back next year!"

"When you come back be ready 2 help take us 2 the superbowl #titans nation," Delrico Lewis wrote.
Injured Mariani Updates Fans through Social Media - Eric Alvarez