Cougs get a scare
PULLMAN – The worst-case scenario went flashing through most everyone’s head when Chris Jordan’s knee wobbled ever so slightly Monday morning.
The junior wide receiver, fresh off of his second knee operation this off-season, leapt for a pass with defensive back Alex Teems and came down awkwardly. Admittedly, Jordan tweaked his right knee – not the left one that required ACL surgery after the 2003 Apple Cup and then an arthroscopic procedure after last season – but it was still enough to frighten plenty of Cougars on the field.
“It scared the heck out of me,” head coach Bill Doba said. “I thought it was a lot worse. He finished practice, but it was stiff (Tuesday).”
Jordan’s right knee sprain – and it appears to be nothing more serious than that – kept him out of drills Tuesday morning and could hold him out for another day or two as Washington State ramps up its practice schedule with an eye toward two-a-days later this week.
“I got lucky,” Jordan said. “It looked pretty nasty on the field, but it was just a minor sprain.”
Monday’s minor setback does serve as a reminder about how difficult the road back from a serious knee injury can be. Last season, Jordan was just about the only returning wideout with any playing experience.
That fact led him to, as he’ll now admit, rush back from the ACL injury and play through much of 2004 with one knee anything but healed.
“I did (rush it). I thought I had to get back real quick because we lost Devard (Darling) and all of the experience from the year before,” Jordan said. “Last year was just a struggle at the end of the season. The knee was just killing me the whole year. This year I’m taking it easy, just getting tuned for the season. I felt pretty good the first couple of days until this happened.”
As a sophomore, Jordan did manage to play in all 11 games but was limited to 20 catches, 356 receiving yards and just one touchdown. But the emergence of Jason Hill and Michael Bumpus in 2004 has allowed Jordan to ease his way back into the fold this fall. And – this week’s scare notwithstanding – Jordan said he’s past the mental demons that haunted him following the initial knee injury 21 months ago.
“I really don’t think about it any more. Just play. If it’s going to happen again, it was supposed to happen like that,” he said. “I think we’ll be at the top of the pack this year with receivers.”
Notes
The MRI on Cody Boyd‘s right ankle was inconclusive, though it did appear to rule out any major injury. Head trainer Bill Drake said no final diagnosis has been made for the tight end, and a CT-scan was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon to help figure out why the 6-foot-7 junior has had recurring pain in the ankle. “The MRI looks pretty good right now, but we’d like to consult on it,” Drake said. “We’re cautiously optimistic. The bad news is, the foot is killing him.” Boyd was still on crutches Tuesday morning. … Junior college transfer DeWayne Patterson, a safety, was able to take the field for the first time Tuesday after getting clearance from WSU admissions. That leaves linebacker Gary Trent and defensive tackle Bryan Tarkington as the two recruits who still have outstanding paperwork blocking their way to the practice field. Patterson should be in full pads by Saturday. … Doba complimented the early play of redshirt freshman Andy Roof, an offensive lineman from East Valley. He also praised true freshman wideout Brandon Gibson, suggesting the Puyallup native may play this season. On Tuesday he made a pair of nice sideline catches over fellow newcomer Lorenzo Bursey. Still, Bursey has impressed thus far at cornerback even though he’s probably a more natural offensive player. … Defensive tackle Matt Eichelberger has slimmed down noticeably over the summer. The redshirt freshman came into camp last year weighing about 350 pounds, maybe more, but is now down to about 305.