The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team had numerous players out for all or part of spring practice. Each of those Mocs, including four projected starters, is rehabbing and healing on or ahead of schedule.
“Everybody’s going to be fine when camp starts [in August],” coach Russ Huesman said. “When it starts they’re going to be full blast, but the question is the lead time and what they can do this summer.”
Head trainer Todd Bullard said all of the players should be fully cleared by the end of June.
Defensive end Josh Williams, one of three returning defensive line starters who missed spring practice, is lifting weights unrestricted following shoulder surgery.
Defensive tackle Nick Craig, who had knee surgery just before the start of spring practice, still has a way to go before he’s back at full strength. But he’s getting there, Bullard said.
Craig, a rising senior, said he’s already up to 300 pounds on the leg press and should start doing agility drills in early May.
“Things were going a little slow at first, but I have really turned a corner the last two weeks,” he said recently. “Everything’s going good right now.”
Defensive end Chris Donald’s status for the 2011 season is uncertain, Huesman said. He missed spring practice because of surgery on both wrists, but the Mocs’ sack leader last season with 7 1/2 has been held out of all football team activities during spring semester to focus on his grades.
Huesman said Donald’s future could hinge on how well he does this semester.
“We’ll see how this spring goes,” Huesman said.
Among the other Mocs working their way back, defensive end Davis Tull (broken hand), wide receiver Marlon Anthony (knee), offensive linemen Omre Harris (foot) and Shaun Hill (shoulder) and quarterback Terrell Robinson (wrist) should all be good to go in a few weeks.
John Frierson is in his fifth year at the Times Free Press and fifth year covering University of Tennessee at Chattanooga athletics. The bulk of his time is spent covering Mocs football, but he also writes about women’s basketball and the big-picture issues and news involving the athletic department. A native of Athens, Ga., John grew up a few hundred yards from the University of Georgia campus. Instead of becoming a Bulldog he attended Ole ...
related articles »
The bad news continues for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team.
Three key members of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team in 2010 won’t be returning this fall, and ...
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga linebacker Zach Rayl was moved to defensive end recently out of necessity. That necessity has ...
Defensive tackle Nick Craig had knee surgery Thursday and will be the third starter on the University of Tennessee at ...
Or login with:
New Account