Zone Left

August 9th, 2012 at 7:44 PM ^

That's probably right, at least to a point. There is a ton of academic support in FBS level programs and every school has easier programs they steer at-risk athletes into, so if he's willing to show up to class and tutoring, he probably won't struggle.

That said, a lot of high schools do an awful lot to keep athletes eligible. I knew a guy who was high school classmates with David Bowens. 2-3 times a week, the athletic director would ask him or someone else on the team to leave their first period class to go pick him up and get him to school. Also, there are a lot of really, really easy high school classes.

Joined: 07/03/2008

MGoPoints: 16428

spartanfan123

August 9th, 2012 at 2:12 PM ^

Nothing official so the meniscus tear is all speculation. It wouldn't keep him out for too long, but either way he'd probably get a redshirt. I would've been surpirsed if he didn't get a redshirt anyways, he had to take one summer school class and didn't get to campus the day before training camp started. 

Joined: 02/15/2012

MGoPoints: 633

RakeFight

August 9th, 2012 at 3:10 PM ^

The extent of the injury depends on the extent of the tear, and in medicine, the word "tear" is all relative. Just like with other injuries, there are different degrees of tear. Meniscal tears can also be difficult to confirm radiologically if they are small. Any contusion of inflammation of the meniscus can be interpreted as a tear on an MRI, but will heal faster than an actual tear. Tears can be confirmed by an arthroscope... but, honestly, the last thing that you want is a scope in your knee if you don't really need one. Bottom line, if he has a tear, the extent of the tear (and thus the extent of the needed repair) will determine his return, which, as essentially pointed out above, is anywhere from weeks to season ending.

Joined: 02/21/2012

MGoPoints: 8507

teldar

August 9th, 2012 at 3:44 PM ^

Have not seen anyone mention the range of meniscal tears. They can be minor with minimal impact. In this situation, a little arthroscopic surgery and you're good to go with a little rehab. Or you can rip the articular surface off the end of a bone, at which time you are boned, see: Steve Yzerman and Dan Cleary. They are both great examples of destroyed meniscii. Yzerman retired after an osteotomy to realign the joint after articular surface damage and Cleary decided to continue to skate on a bad and torn up articular surface and may have taken years off his career and quite possibly will need a new knee at some point.

Joined: 07/14/2009

MGoPoints: 8224