El Camino College Lineman Justice in Good Condition After Surgery

Officials at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center said El Camino College offensive lineman Jim Justice was upgraded from serious to good condition Wednesday, two days after a tumor was removed from his brain.

Ron Yukelson, the hospital’s director of public relations, said Justice was admitted Friday and operated on Monday morning to remove a tumor the size of a Ping-Pong ball from the back of his head.

“He’s out of intensive care and in good condition,� Yukelson said Wednesday morning. “He got out of bed and sat up in a chair for the first time today, which is indicative of progress.�

El Camino Coach John Featherstone, who saw Justice Wednesday afternoon, said the athlete is still heavily sedated, but appears to be making progress.

“He’s in much better spirits and the headaches are gone,� Featherstone said. “In the next 24 hours they should know what the biopsy will reveal.�

Dr. Barry Ceverha, the neurosurgeon who performed the operation, said if the tumor is benign, Justice will be released in three to five days, barring complications. Ceverha said the normal recovery process in most cases is four to six weeks.

Ceverha said test results would be known today. The doctor said the growth was unrelated to a concussion Justice suffered in El Camino’s game against Long Beach City College on Nov. 10.

Justice, a 6-foot-3, 265-pound freshman, was a Mission Conference honorable-mention selection. The 18-year-old prepped at Leuzinger, where he was an All-South Bay.