Black's injury is confirmed; severity is unknown
August 26th, 2018 at 2:09 PM ^
Was this the same foot as last year?
August 26th, 2018 at 2:10 PM ^
Opposite foot, I believe. Bad luck.
August 26th, 2018 at 2:28 PM ^
They need to remove his feet so they stop getting injured.
August 26th, 2018 at 2:52 PM ^
Now you're thinking with that big brain of yours. Good job!
August 26th, 2018 at 3:40 PM ^
I tried it... Used the interwebz, Google said it takes six to twelve weeks to heal, so I'll go out on a limb and say he'll be back for the osu game.
Nailed it.
August 26th, 2018 at 4:11 PM ^
Hopefully, it's a proximal 5th metatarsal fracture. A plate, screws and six to eight weeks before he can begin to train again. It would be horrible for him to go through another season sitting out. To train so hard, after what he has already endured, and to have this happen, must be devastating. I really feel for the kid.
August 26th, 2018 at 4:32 PM ^
A Jones fracture would not necessarily be good news, as they have a risk of non-union. Avulsion fractures off the proximal tip of the 5 th MT or more distal shaft stress fractures would be more straight forward.
August 26th, 2018 at 4:44 PM ^
Takes one to know one! (swish)
August 26th, 2018 at 8:16 PM ^
Drew Henson had a fifth metatarsal shaft fracture and was back in a month. That gave rise to NAVARRE!
August 26th, 2018 at 9:27 PM ^
You seem to be assuming no surgery in a high performance athlete. Why would that be?
August 26th, 2018 at 5:53 PM ^
Yeah dude I hope its a jones fracture.
... what?
August 26th, 2018 at 2:11 PM ^
If Fort Schembechler is confirming an injury, that's bad news. :(
Poor kid.
August 26th, 2018 at 2:11 PM ^
That sounds like it's not season-ending? Probably? They generally say when they know a guy is out for the year, and they've had plenty of time to look at tests and see a major broken bone or an achilles. That seems like they're evaluating the severity of a sprain or a fracture to me?
August 26th, 2018 at 2:12 PM ^
Fingers crossed.
August 26th, 2018 at 2:13 PM ^
Or not wanting to tip off ND for game planning reasons.
August 26th, 2018 at 2:13 PM ^
Dunno -- I think it's hard to take very much (either way) from that statement. We're just gonna have to wait and see. The injury exists, and there's little doubt in my mind that he's gonna miss time. We just don't have a clue yet as to how much.
August 26th, 2018 at 2:18 PM ^
Yeah I don't think there's any possibility here of him playing this weekend. We can only hope for missing as little time as possible.
August 26th, 2018 at 2:17 PM ^
You mean like Speights back last year? You can't take anything away from that statement.
August 26th, 2018 at 2:21 PM ^
They haven't done tests yet. MRI to come soon, but he is in a walking boot right now.
August 26th, 2018 at 2:31 PM ^
A foot doesn't sound season ending (obviously could be) but the timing likely means he misses half the season. That said, he could very well be back for a few of our tougher games.
August 26th, 2018 at 2:37 PM ^
If he could get back by Penn State, that would be phenomenal. Obviously, OSU is the main one you'd like him back for.
I don't think losing him should change your W-L projection for this team, especially not for this weekend's game where I think we were going to use the TEs and Perry mostly anyways. Nico has been playing well, we know that DPJ has all the tools. We can still be fine on offense.
Black isn't way down this list, but he's also not the player we can least afford to lose.
August 26th, 2018 at 3:02 PM ^
I really kind of think an injury to one of our wide receivers is kind of “the one we can’t afford.” If I’m not mistaken, including Black, we have 6 scholarship WRs on the team, right? I’m not trying to be doom and gloom, but I think the order of “cant afford to lose” is 1) Higdon, 2) Patterson 3) Any wide reciever.
August 26th, 2018 at 3:20 PM ^
Your #1-3 choices are correct, but I would switch the #1 and #2 though.
August 26th, 2018 at 3:59 PM ^
I disagree. I would rank can't afford to lose as 1. Hudson 2. Shea 3. Either of Higdon or Evans 4. Gary...Black would be around 7 or 8 for me. No we don't have a whole second wave of starting-caliber receivers behind our 1s, like we do with the DL. However, the personnel we use and the guys we have healthy make one loss at the position much more tolerable. We're going to line up TEs in WR spots anyways. We're probably only ever going to play at most 3 WRs at a time, 4 maybe but not often. Add this to the reports that Collins and Perry have been the best WRs on the team in camp, and Black's injury is shitty, but not catastrophic. If the Collins hype is real, then I essentially think we won't miss a beat.
NOW, however, we can't afford to lose a receiver. Not at all. Black's loss takes away our ability to tolerate an injury there, but it doesn't cripple the position.
August 26th, 2018 at 4:10 PM ^
Agree. I feel better we loaded up last year and have reinforcements coming in 2019. Recruiting botch ...
August 26th, 2018 at 4:23 PM ^
The problem with the WR group is the entire 2016 class is no longer with the team and then we have 2 more WR from 2015 leave this Fall camp.
I believe Ambrey will be taking many more snaps at WR now with TB down for several weeks at a minimum. Ambrey was taking a few in case this happened and now it has, so he will be a great WR. IMO I think he may turn out to be better WR than CB and that is saying something!!!
August 26th, 2018 at 5:51 PM ^
I think it’s more 1) Patterson, 2) Patterson 3) Anyone else
August 26th, 2018 at 3:11 PM ^
A foot doesn't sound season ending (obviously could be)
People said the same thing last year. Feet can take awhile to heal. Let's hope it's not as bad this time.
August 26th, 2018 at 3:31 PM ^
feet, don't fail [us] now!
August 26th, 2018 at 4:01 PM ^
Assuming he suffered the same injury as last year it's not inconceivable for him to return mid-season. Drew Henson had a surgically repaired Jones fracture the final week of camp in 2000 and was back on the field for the Illinois game in week 4.
August 26th, 2018 at 3:56 PM ^
I’m not an expert in this stuff, but follow injuries closely (fantasy football...) and foot injuries can definitely be long recovery periods if the fracture is in the right (or wrong) spot.
A sprain is best case scenario at this point, but given that the rumors are 6+ weeks it’s likely a fracture. If that’s the case:
- a 5th metatarsal (Jones fracture) - usually requires surgery, return time 6-12 weeks
- Lisfranc - if no surgery, return 6-8 weeks; if surgery, out for seaso
Those are just very general guidelines (and not all possible injuries) from following football doctors on Twitter, obviously I know nothing special about Black, and I’m simply repeating general timeframes I’ve heard.
August 26th, 2018 at 4:00 PM ^
So from what we have heard, it sounds like Lisfranc no surgery.
August 26th, 2018 at 4:38 PM ^
If it requires surgery, he will be done for the main season, could return for bowl game. If he has a Lisfranc fracture, he should not be putting any weight on it for several weeks up to 6.
August 26th, 2018 at 7:16 PM ^
I had a Lisfranc. Podiatrist basically told me you're not going to do anything to heal it unless you're on total bedrest, which no one actually does, so it'll heal; it's just going to take a long time. That said, in my case I was not limited much at all. My worst complaint was that it hurt to walk barefoot on hard floors.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
August 26th, 2018 at 2:15 PM ^
*sigh*
August 26th, 2018 at 2:19 PM ^
Ugh. The good news is that outside of ND, the early half of the schedule is soft. Let's hope he's ready for the brutal back half. Feel for him; what an awful way to start your first two years in college.
August 26th, 2018 at 2:20 PM ^
Horrible news a week before the first game. We’re off to a great start already.
August 26th, 2018 at 2:22 PM ^
How the hell is the staff to blame for this? It's football. People get hurt. We're hardly the 1st team to have an injured player.
Edit: Either you edited your post or I can't read. Both are equally possible.
August 26th, 2018 at 4:41 PM ^
That is why editing should only be allowed for a couple minutes, then the post is closed.
August 26th, 2018 at 9:12 PM ^
Or just prevent editing after a reply has been posted
August 26th, 2018 at 2:20 PM ^
This is why Crawford transferring sucks. Did we ever get a clear reason why he transferred? Ugh
August 26th, 2018 at 2:22 PM ^
I imagine he was passed on the depth chart. But does it really matter? He's gone.
August 26th, 2018 at 2:52 PM ^
By that logic the reason for anything doesn't matter. The reason for the injury doesn't matter. The reason this board exists doesn't matter. Unless, of course, curiosity and wonderment to induce conversation and thought are a good enough reason.
August 26th, 2018 at 2:54 PM ^
Ok then. Let's just go with he was probably passed on the depth chart. That's 1 of the most common reasons for transfer during fall camp.
August 26th, 2018 at 3:02 PM ^
Because Schoenle was taking his reps.
August 26th, 2018 at 6:03 PM ^
It does seem like the transfer thing in general(not just at UM) has gotten way more common over the last several years. Especially for football, players used to understand injuries are pretty common and being 2nd or 3rd string wasn't a career ender. Now it's like some ppl think everyone that passes them on the depth chart is LeBron level injury proof. I guess players are less patient nowadays.
August 26th, 2018 at 9:00 PM ^
personally, i would rather go with more multiple TE sets than have crawford get those snaps. our TEs>>>crawford
August 26th, 2018 at 2:24 PM ^
I take it as it isn't season ending. Unless they haven't gotten the MRI results back. But he will miss a good portion of the season.
August 26th, 2018 at 4:09 PM ^
So far, this is the best comment I've read. Everyone on here is worried about how it's going to effect the team, but I, like you, am worried about how it's going to effect this young man.
I've been hurt and had to miss a season. My kid has been hurt and had to miss a season. Trust me when I say it's about as low as you can feel after you've put the time and effort in to help your team. I blamed myself and felt like I was abandoning my friends.
Edit: Replied to wrong comment...meant as a reply for the next comment
August 26th, 2018 at 2:27 PM ^
Ugh. I feel horrible for black. He worked his ass off, and has had to miss time 2 years in a row now. Lifes not fair.