Seven football Vols getting over surgery

Friday, January 1, 1904

photo Alex Bullard

KNOXVILLE -- Instead of gearing up for two more weeks of bowl practice, Tennessee's football team has been busy in operating rooms.

Since the Volunteers' season ended cruelly and abruptly in a loss at Kentucky, seven players have undergone successful surgeries at UT Medical Center, the school announced Monday.

Sophomore center Alex Bullard, junior linebacker Greg King, freshman tailback Marlin Lane and sophomore defensive end Marlon Walls all underwent arthroscopic knee procedures.

Throughout the season, Lane battled pain in his left knee, the same one in which he suffered multiple torn ligaments late in his junior season in high school. King has had multiple procedures done on both knees in his injury-riddled career.

All four players are expected to have recovered fully by the beginning of spring practice.

Sophomore defensive tackle Daniel Hood, freshman linebacker Curt Maggitt and junior defensive back Prentiss Waggner underwent shoulder surgeries.

Waggner played through shoulder strain during the season's last month and was in a noncontact jersey the entire final week of practice, while Hood was banged up the latter half of the year. Maggitt missed the South Carolina game with a calf injury and left in the second half of the loss to the Wildcats in the finale.

Those three players are expected back for spring practice on a noncontact basis and fully ready for the start of summer workouts.

Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com or 901-581-7288. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/patrickbrowntfp.