Eric the Red
Team HuskerBoard
Cosgrove optimistic Bowman will recover in time
BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star
Tuesday, Apr 03, 2007 - 12:28:47 am CDT
Concern. Heartache. Even panic.
Those were among the reactions by Nebraska football fans last week as news surfaced that senior cornerback Zack Bowman had suffered a major knee injury.
“I can understand (those feelings),” Husker defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said Monday. “I mean, he’s a tremendous football player. We all have tremendous respect for him.”
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Turns out, Bowman’s latest knee injury might have been inevitable. Nebraska cornerbacks coach Phil Elmassian said Bowman’s patellar tendon in his right knee was “degenerate” and thereby susceptible to damage. Bowman ruptured the tendon Wednesday during a non-contact seven-on-seven drill, apparently in a collision with another player.
“It was going to go at any time,” Elmassian said. “It could’ve happened at any time.”
Regarded as easily Nebraska’s best cornerback, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Bowman tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee last August and missed all of last season. This time around, he is expected to be sidelined 41/2 to six months. The Huskers open their 2007 schedule Sept. 1 against Nevada.
“Zack will work hard in his rehab, and he’ll be back before you know it,” said Cosgrove, declining specifics. “He’ll be back before everybody thinks he’ll be back.”
In the meantime, Nebraska will lean heavily on three cornerbacks — returning senior starters Cortney Grixby and Andre Jones and junior college transfer Armando Murillo. The 5-9 Grixby and 6-foot Jones struggled against tall and fleet receivers for much of last season as the Huskers finished No. 79 nationally in pass defense.
Cosgrove, however, expresses confidence in his corners. For instance, he said, Jones gained invaluable experience last season after transferring to Nebraska last summer from Fresno City Community College.
What’s more, Cosgrove said, it helps matters greatly that the 6-foot Murillo is on campus this spring as opposed to arriving in the summer months with the majority of Nebraska’s 2007 signees.
“Armando’s got good size for a corner,” Cosgrove said. “He’s made some very good strides in a short time. Just with his technique and his undertanding of what we’re trying to do defensively.”
Elmassian said Bowman’s injury this spring “is impacting, but not like his injury was last year. Last year it was devastating. Because last year, we lost (to injury) Bowman and (Isaiah) Fluellen, and Jones was brand new. And that was it.”
Jones and Grixby played the vast majority of the snaps.
“You figure with three corners, you’re going to be fine,” Elmassian said.
Briefly
Meanwhile, Nebraska’s offensive line “is really improving,” said Husker middle linebacker Corey McKeon.
“They’re a lot different o-line than we’ve had in the past couple of years,” he said. “A lot of technique. They know what they’re doing. They’re a lot smarter this year.
“It’s nice to have an o-line that’s communicating well with each other and getting off (d-linemen) and getting to linebackers. I haven’t seen so many o-linemen in my face in a long time.”
BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star
Tuesday, Apr 03, 2007 - 12:28:47 am CDT
Concern. Heartache. Even panic.
Those were among the reactions by Nebraska football fans last week as news surfaced that senior cornerback Zack Bowman had suffered a major knee injury.
“I can understand (those feelings),” Husker defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said Monday. “I mean, he’s a tremendous football player. We all have tremendous respect for him.”
Advertisement
Turns out, Bowman’s latest knee injury might have been inevitable. Nebraska cornerbacks coach Phil Elmassian said Bowman’s patellar tendon in his right knee was “degenerate” and thereby susceptible to damage. Bowman ruptured the tendon Wednesday during a non-contact seven-on-seven drill, apparently in a collision with another player.
“It was going to go at any time,” Elmassian said. “It could’ve happened at any time.”
Regarded as easily Nebraska’s best cornerback, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Bowman tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee last August and missed all of last season. This time around, he is expected to be sidelined 41/2 to six months. The Huskers open their 2007 schedule Sept. 1 against Nevada.
“Zack will work hard in his rehab, and he’ll be back before you know it,” said Cosgrove, declining specifics. “He’ll be back before everybody thinks he’ll be back.”
In the meantime, Nebraska will lean heavily on three cornerbacks — returning senior starters Cortney Grixby and Andre Jones and junior college transfer Armando Murillo. The 5-9 Grixby and 6-foot Jones struggled against tall and fleet receivers for much of last season as the Huskers finished No. 79 nationally in pass defense.
Cosgrove, however, expresses confidence in his corners. For instance, he said, Jones gained invaluable experience last season after transferring to Nebraska last summer from Fresno City Community College.
What’s more, Cosgrove said, it helps matters greatly that the 6-foot Murillo is on campus this spring as opposed to arriving in the summer months with the majority of Nebraska’s 2007 signees.
“Armando’s got good size for a corner,” Cosgrove said. “He’s made some very good strides in a short time. Just with his technique and his undertanding of what we’re trying to do defensively.”
Elmassian said Bowman’s injury this spring “is impacting, but not like his injury was last year. Last year it was devastating. Because last year, we lost (to injury) Bowman and (Isaiah) Fluellen, and Jones was brand new. And that was it.”
Jones and Grixby played the vast majority of the snaps.
“You figure with three corners, you’re going to be fine,” Elmassian said.
Briefly
Meanwhile, Nebraska’s offensive line “is really improving,” said Husker middle linebacker Corey McKeon.
“They’re a lot different o-line than we’ve had in the past couple of years,” he said. “A lot of technique. They know what they’re doing. They’re a lot smarter this year.
“It’s nice to have an o-line that’s communicating well with each other and getting off (d-linemen) and getting to linebackers. I haven’t seen so many o-linemen in my face in a long time.”
