Triage Time: Fallen Stars

September 25th, 2009 by Will Carroll

Medical Symbol Quarterback Matt Grothe, University of South Florida – Knee

Grothe suffered a torn ACL (the ligament in the knee that prevents accessory anterior movement of the tibia on the femur) during the first half of the Bull’s victory against Charleston Southern which makes that a very expensive victory. Grothe is out for the season and will undergo reconstructive surgery to repair the ACL. His back-up, two sport USF athlete B.J. Daniels, is a redshirt freshman with very little collegiate game experience. With Florida State up next for the Bulls, Grothe’s experience will definitely be missed.

Wide Receiver Michael Floyd, Notre Dame – Fractured Clavicle (Collarbone)

Floyd suffered a broken collarbone during Notre Dame’s 33-20 victory over Michigan State. After setting all of Notre Dame’s freshman wide receiver records last year, Floyd was second in the nation in receiving this year through the first two games. Despite the fact that wide receiver is one of the deepest aspects of the Irish’s roster, a player of Floyd’s caliber is still hard to adequately replace. Floyd will miss 6-8 weeks while the bone heals and could be ready for a bowl game if the Irish can perform well enough for a bowl invitation without Floyd’s availability for the remainder of the season which includes Washington and USC back to back at Notre Dame. Look for Robbie Parris to replace Floyd at the Irish’s “Z” receiver position.

Quarterback Jimmie Clausen, Notre Dame – Toe

Clausen has been hobbled by a condition known as turf toe- hyperextension of the big toe, a condition that can be very painful when a quarterback runs or plants his feet to pass. Clausen will continue to play with the toe taped and stiffer insoles added to his shoe. This is basically a pain management type injury and hopefully Clausen will be able to get some rest this week against a Purdue team that has looked less than dangerous in its early games. Sophomore Dayne Crist could see some action to give Clausen a break.

Quarterback Juice Williams, University of Illinois –Quadriceps

William’s benefited from the off week on the schedule after straining the quadriceps (large muscles in the front of the thigh) against Illinois State in week 2 and will be the starter against Ohio State this week. This injury, which will affect his running much more than his passing, will make it somewhat difficult for him to change speeds and direction on running plays or when he is chased out of the pocket while passing. Williams is a big man at 235 pounds who has rushed for over 2,000 yards in his Illini career, so this injury may continue to nag him throughout the season.

Running Back Jake Sharp, Kansas - Calf

Sharp, one of the top rushers in the Big 12, suffered a gastrocnemius (calf) muscle strain during pre-game warm-ups before the Duke game and subsequently played very little against the Blue Devils. The strain is reported to be not serious and the rest and treatment this week should have him ready as he will definitely be needed against the undefeated Golden Eagles of Southern Miss this week. A calf injury has the most effect on a running back’s ability to accelerate which could affect Sharp’s take off ability and his ability to change speeds in a ball carrying situation.

Wide Receiver Aldarins Johnson, Miami – Groin

Johnson, leading receiver for the Hurricanes last year, strained his groin (adductor muscles in the front of the upper thigh which effect thigh rotation and hip flexion) in the season opener and has missed the last two games. He is listed as officially questionable for this week’s contest against Virginia Tech. Groin strains tend to heal slowly and any aggravation of the injury can delay the healing process, look for the Hurricane medical staff to be very cautious with Johnson. Once he does return, the groin will have to be wrapped and he may be somewhat hampered in rapidly changing directions during pass patterns.

WR Deonte Thompson (thanks Icon SMI)

Wide Receiver Deonte Thompson, University of Florida – Hamstring

Thompson did not play last week against Kentucky as his hamstring strain continues to heal slowly. The hamstring (large muscles in the back of the thigh) are acceleration muscles and as such very important to a speed receiver. Look for Thompson to be held out of this week’s game against Kentucky and benefit from the open week in Florida’s schedule the following week -so he can be ready when the Gators hit the meat of their SEC schedule starting with LSU on October 3. Return specialist Brandon James has been standing in for Thompson, and has plenty of speed, but at 5’7” tall compared to Thompson’s 6’0”, he is a harder target for Tim Tebow to spot.

Running Back Dominique Lindsay, East Carolina – Shoulder

The A-C sprain (ligament that attaches the clavicle and the scapula at the shoulder) that Lindsay suffered in the North Carolina game is still painful enough to keep him out of this week’s Central Florida game. The biggest problem with a running back trying to return to action with this injury is pain. Running backs are going to be hit, they are going to fall and contact the ground and players are going to land on them. None of these factors aid the healing of this ligament. Once the pain has subsided to a tolerable level, Lindsay should be able to return, at least on a limited basis against Marshall on October 3^rd and then be ready for more rigorous duty against SMU the following week.

Quarterback Jarrett Brown, West Virginia – Shoulder

Jarrett Brown patiently waited three years for Pat White to graduate and he is not going to let a minor shoulder injury suffered against Auburn keep him out of the line-up. With an off-week this week, Brown will have a good ten days of treatment and rest before the Mountaineers face Colorado on a Thursday night ESPN game. Shoulder contusions are an occupational hazard for quarterbacks being tackled and landed upon by defensive linemen. Brown’s injury should have virtually no effect on his passing or running ability after ten days of rest and treatment by the Mountaineer athletic training staff.

Quarterback Riley Dodge, North Texas – Shoulder

Dodge suffered a strain and contusion to the muscles around his non-throwing shoulder two weeks ago and was unable to play against Alabama last week which was probably a blessing in disguise as the 3^rd ranked Tide could not call off the dogs against the Mean Green even with the third team defense in the game for much of the second half. Dodge should be able to return to action this week in the team’s Sun Belt opener against Middle Tennessee and the injury should be well enough healed to not hamper his performance.

Dr. William Carroll is the Director of Athletic Training Education and a Professor at the University of Mobile. His experience in professional and college athletic sports medicine goes back 40 years, which means he started when he was nine. Will Carroll, his son, has actually been doing this since birth, which gives him almost as much experience. ‘The Carroll Guide to Sports Injuries’ will be published in October.

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