TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — News that broke mid-morning Tuesday certainly sent a shiver down the spine of anyone associated with the Crimson Tide football program.
Running back Mark Ingram hurt his left knee late in Monday night’s practice. The exact nature of the injury, how bad it is or how long he’ll be sidelined are still among the questions left unanswered in the three paragraph statement issued by coach Nick Saban just after 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.
More than six hours after the announcement, “Mark Ingram” was still the most-searched term on the Internet, according to Google Trends.
The returning Heisman Trophy winner is certainly out for the 7 p.m. Saturday season debut with San Jose State, the statement read. After that, it remains a mystery.
Dr. James Andrews and Dr. Lyle Cain performed arthroscopic surgery on Ingram’s injured knee Tuesday morning, but that leaves many possible diagnoses on the table.
“We will make every decision in the future based on what’s best for Mark and his career as we consult with Dr. Cain and Dr. Andrews on his progress,” Saban said in the statement. “This is not an injury that will affect Mark’s future ability to make a full recovery in a relatively short time frame.”
As defined on the Johns Hopkins Medicine website, a knee scope is a procedure in which the joint “can be evaluated and treated using surgical instruments placed into the joint through small incisions.” The site also lists several possible reasons a patient would need the procedure, ranging from the severe to the minor.
Dr. Randall Riehl of the Decatur (Ala.) Orthopedic Clinic did his post-graduate training with Dr. Cain in Memphis. He said it is hard to determine how many games Ingram could miss without knowing the diagnosis.
“It’s fair to say that the most common arthroscopic procedure done on the knee is for a simple tear of cartilage,” Riehl said. “If that is indeed the case, he could be back in anywhere from two to six weeks.”
Starting center William Vlachos, who called Ingram “the heart and soul of the offense” said he was unaware of Ingram’s injury until Tuesday. He even ate dinner Monday with Ingram at Bryant Hall without the topic coming up.
“That’s the guy he is,” Vlachos said. “He doesn’t want anyone thinking about him. He’s worried about the game and the team.”
Running back Trent Richardson said Ingram left the field quickly after the injury, so he didn’t think it was serious.
When Ingram told him later that evening, Richardson said he was “shocked.” By Tuesday afternoon, Ingram was back in team meetings, even though he couldn’t practice.
“It’s like he’s ready to get back on the field already,” Richardson said.
The one certainty emerging from Tuesday’s news involves those listed behind Ingram on the depth chart.
Richardson, for one game at least, steps into the penthouse without an experienced backup. Redshirt freshman Eddie Lacy becomes the second option followed by junior Demetrius Goode and true freshman Corey Grant.
Given the Tide’s preference to use several backs in every game, the maturation process likely accelerates for those behind Richardson.
“Eddie is a little bit taller than all the other running backs,” Ingram said of Lacy before Monday’s injury. “He’s physical runner. He can make you miss. He can catch it out of the backfield. He’s another great back and he’ll be real special here as well.”
Richardson said Lacy is much like Ingram and himself on the field. He was also a highly regarded recruit since he was rated among the top 25 running backs nationally as a senior coming out of Louisiana.
E-Mail
Print
