huskerguy Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 I know Bowmans injury was posted in another thread but new news it out on it. Zack Bowman said recently he wanted to hear more “oohs” and “aahs” from Nebraska football fans this season as they watched a more exciting Husker defense. Big Red fans probably released a collective “ugh” Thursday as they learned details of Bowman’s latest injury. The senior cornerback underwent surgery Thursday to repair a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee suffered during practice Wednesday. He is expected to be sidelined for 4 1/2 to six months. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Bowman missed all of last season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee suffered last August during preseason drills. Advertisement “We feel very badly for Zack,” Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan said Thursday in a prepared statement. “He has worked diligently to rehabilitate his previous injury, and this is a tough setback for him. Zack has a tremendous attitude, and I expect that he will work just as hard to get back on the field this fall.” A native of Anchorage, Alaska, Bowman is regarded as one of Nebraska’s best defenders. He wrestled in January with whether to leave school a year early to enter this year’s NFL Draft. A draft advisory committee projected him as a high second-round choice. The top-ranked junior college defensive prospect in the nation by Rivals.com in 2005, Bowman started the final five games of the 2005 season and led the team with 14 pass breakups. He began spring practice last week penciled in as a starter on one side of the field ahead of fellow senior Andre Jones, who started 13 games last season. At the other cornerback position, senior Cortney Grixby — a full-time starter the past two seasons — entered spring practice listed No. 1 ahead of junior college transfer Armando Murillo. Murillo began classes at NU in January and is practicing this spring. “It’s the toughest position on a football team to develop,” Callahan has said of the cornerback spot. “You’re putting guys on an island to play man-to-man and to play bump-and-run coverage, where they’re isolated against receivers. And of course, Bowman gave us a big-bodied corner who could match up with the big bodies we see across the Big 12 Conference.” Bowman’s injury Wednesday occurred as he collided with another player on a crossing route during a 7-on-7 passing drill. He was being held out of full-contact drills this spring as his left knee healed. If Bowman returns in 4 1/2 months, he would join the team in the midst of preseason training camp in mid-August. Nebraska, coming off a 9-5 record in 2006, opens the 2007 season on Sept. 1 against Nevada at Memorial Stadium. If Bowman requires six months of recovery, he would return to the team early in October, having missed the first five games, including a Sept. 15 showdown in Lincoln against Southern California as well as the Sept. 29 league opener against Iowa State, also in Lincoln. Nebraska plays in what figures to be a key Big 12 North game Oct. 6 at Missouri. Nebraska defensive coaches have plenty of options if they feel depth is a problem at cornerback in the wake of Bowman’s latest injury. For instance, senior Tierre Green played cornerback throughout the 2005 season before being moved to safety last season. He is projected as the starter at free safety this season ahead of senior Bryan Wilson. In addition, sophomore corner Corey Young drew praise last season for his tenaciousness on special teams. However, he’s sitting out the spring with a shoulder injury. Also, it’s possible that sophomore Rickey Thenarse and/or redshirt freshman Anthony West — who both moved to safety this spring after playing corner last season — could move back to corner. Wilson also has played corner at NU. So at best we get him back right before the opener and worst we get him mid season... fantastic... Quote Link to comment
Capp Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 how bad does this suck. the guys is a top 10 corner in the nation for the past 2 seasons, and he has torn his ACL and now he has hurt his other knee. Both in non-contact drills. He is a tough kid. He should be able to get back in time to be fully healthy by the time that we need him at his best. Quote Link to comment
Huskerballz Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 Sheesh! This guy can't catch a break! I'm sure he's fed up with it too. He better stop getting injured or he won't be hearing anything from any NFL team. Injury prone cornerbacks aren't exactly "cream of the crop" Quote Link to comment
huskerfan500 Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 damn, at least he might be back in time for the start of the season, knock on wood Quote Link to comment
huskerguy Posted March 29, 2007 Author Share Posted March 29, 2007 So does anyone know if he can medical redshirt again? Hopefully he will have the push to get back because it impacts his future so much. If we can get him limited action in the first couple games and then full by mid season I would think that is the best we can hope for. My biggest worry is that guys coming back from this kind of injury let alone 1 injury on each knee never seem to play the same. Quote Link to comment
DJR313 Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 Super. I think he has a case of the 'Octaviens' as well. Quote Link to comment
huskerdude171 Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 He's got injury problems, now we are going to have a crappy secondary that is good for one burn a game. We'll continue to see good receivers burn Grixby all the time because I don't think Bowman will play for a while. Quote Link to comment
Hunter94 Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 although he would have no doubt helped the secondary in a big way, single handedly he wouldn't have that much impact. let's face it, the whole secondary, other than Bowman was/is totally unproven. grixby will be no better than he was last year. moving Major Culbert to running back should be immediately reversed, the new kids will have to be ready to go now and the new guys up front on the line will have their work cut out for them as well. this year, unlike many others, will find our defense as the "weak link" in the chain, at least in the first 4 games or so, until these kids all get a chance to play together. Quote Link to comment
LAHusker Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 He's got injury problems, now we are going to have a crappy secondary that is good for one burn a game. We'll continue to see good receivers burn Grixby all the time because I don't think Bowman will play for a while. Yep, I hate to say, but expect a lot of footage of the backside of the #2 jersey on sportscenter. Quote Link to comment
BIGREDIOWAN Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 Dammit this is horrible news!!!! I hope he rehabs hard and can get back by the first game so he can help us out!!!! Unfortunately he will have missed practices as well and may be out of sync when he does get back on the field. This is B.S. what did we do wrong football gods??? Quote Link to comment
HANC Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 guys, I hope that I am dead wrong, but don't expect to see Bowman anytime soon, and very, very possibly ever again...unless there is a medical hardship case... As a coach, I have seen this injury before...in fact, a player this past fall ruptured PT, and still is not at full speed...granted, he is not the athlete of ZB, nor do we have the 24 - 7 trainer at beck and call, but don't get your hopes up. Today on 1620 the zone, the hosts talked to "several" (4-6) doctors and/or atheltice trainers, and only 1, yes 1, said 4-6 months was possible....the rest said that 4-6 was very optimistic, and seemed a little over agressive....everyone says that the PT is the power tendon, becuase all the motion of the quad has to travel across the tendon...... many Dr./AT's said today that it usually takes a full year before the athlete is 100%.. I truly hope that I am wrong, but the luck that this kid has had, makes me a little bit nervous.... and, at what point do you start putting ZB ahead of the team....this was a guy, who was set to go pro, to avoid another injury, and was "persuaded" by people on the inside to come back... one of the people being Coach Kennedy......not saying this was wrong, because it was absolutely correct....barring a freak thing like this.. but, if ZB can come back in the middle of the conference schedule, and has been shut - down for over a year and 1/2, ....1st, can he really be completely ready, and 2nd, is it in his best interest to totally rehab. and take a shot at the combine, instead of risking another , probable career ending tear.... the poor kid would be done before he even got a pay check.... Quote Link to comment
huskerguy Posted March 30, 2007 Author Share Posted March 30, 2007 The loss of Bowman really hurts but we will still be a better secondary than last year. The only person we lost was Shanle and we gained Murillo and Asante plus all the experience the younger guys now have in the system. The bottom of the article says to basically expect Thenarse back at corner so I hope he can step up and make a difference. I really doubt Grixby will start, he will still play alot but I think Murillo will take his spot. For those who dont know much about Murillo... he comes from a Arizona CC and was coached by the same coach as Zack Bowman was. He is 6-0 195 lbs. Also this is something I just found out he is the cousin of NBA guard Gilbert Arenas. Quote Link to comment
gamecocks Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 I say we move Green back to corner, switch Culbert back to safety and move Thenarse to free safety. I would feel better with more experienced corners and some younger safeties rather than the other way. Quote Link to comment
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