Taylor Martinez Sports Science

[Hunter94]

I have seen several people predict that Taylor gets hurt. What kind of crystal ball do you have that you can foresee injuries?

I hurt my ankle pretty bad playing basketball almost 8 years ago. I must have tweaked it when I was walking to class yesterday, because it was hurting me to the point where I was limping for a while. Ankle injuries are something that can stay with you for a long time.

I can't imagine Martinez's ankle standing up to the kind of stress football entails; making cuts, twisting when getting tackled, etc. Most people fail to realize the lingering effects of ankle injuries, once its been injured, its much more likely to become re-injured.

Do you have any idea how many athletes have tweaked an ankle and come back from it in just the last 12 months alone? It happens all the time. People talk about Taylor recovering from this ankle thing like it's a complete long shot and will probably never happen... EVERY athlete hurts an ankle at some point. Many have hurt their ankles WORSE than Taylor and went on to have successful careers with no or limited lingering effects. He hurt his ankle, couldn't heal cause he was playing every week, took a couple months off, got quite a bit better, now he'll take a few more months off and be fine. He's not sitting on a couch all day, he's not going to "tweak" it walking to class.

we are all speculating, injuries can be cronic, we'll just have to wait and see, but it has been 6 months and it still bothers him somewhat.

 

[ZRod]

I have seen several people predict that Taylor gets hurt. What kind of crystal ball do you have that you can foresee injuries?

I hurt my ankle pretty bad playing basketball almost 8 years ago. I must have tweaked it when I was walking to class yesterday, because it was hurting me to the point where I was limping for a while. Ankle injuries are something that can stay with you for a long time.

I can't imagine Martinez's ankle standing up to the kind of stress football entails; making cuts, twisting when getting tackled, etc. Most people fail to realize the lingering effects of ankle injuries, once its been injured, its much more likely to become re-injured.

Do you have any idea how many athletes have tweaked an ankle and come back from it in just the last 12 months alone? It happens all the time. People talk about Taylor recovering from this ankle thing like it's a complete long shot and will probably never happen... EVERY athlete hurts an ankle at some point. Many have hurt their ankles WORSE than Taylor and went on to have successful careers with no or limited lingering effects. He hurt his ankle, couldn't heal cause he was playing every week, took a couple months off, got quite a bit better, now he'll take a few more months off and be fine. He's not sitting on a couch all day, he's not going to "tweak" it walking to class.

Well if you want another anecdotal story that would support him recovery almost fully. I got a high ankle sprain my senior year of high school the first half of the first game. Landed on a pile and someone rolled over my lower leg and it made a popping sound, I swore I broke the thing because I couldn't put any weight on it. Playing left tackle its a real b!^@h trying to push off of that thing and fall back on it in pass pro, I can't imagine trying to cut on it at speed like he was asked to do. It took me almost the whole season to fully recover, but after 5 or 6 games it was about 90%. The only lasting effects I've notice are that my right ankle (the one I sprained) is a little bit stiffer than the left. I've played basketball, football, and softball on it for 5 years and never had a problem other than pain from a casual roll of the ankle that goes away after a day or two, and that's more from having loose ankles that have been rolled numerous times playing sports since I was a kid.

Now I think we had a great trainer but obviously he didn't have the equipment and facilities they do at NU so I'm going to go out on a limb and say Taylor's ankle will be just fine come this season.

we are all speculating, injuries can be cronic, we'll just have to wait and see, but it has been 6 months and it still bothers him somewhat.

I'm more concerned with his turf toe being a chronic issue than his ankle at this point. Not sure about the context of Taylor's quote before, but he could be talking about his toe and not the ankle. From more personal experience toes seem to be the one injury that feels fine one week and you land on it just right the next and boom! You're back to square one again with the pain... But like you said it's all just speculation...

 

[gobiggergoredder]

Interesting what is tabbed 'Science' anymore.

 

[skersfan]

It has been three months and 22 days since last aggravated. Healing of a severe high ankle sprain normally runs minimal 6 month and 7-8 is normal, some take a year. Add to that turf toe, walking different because of injuries to both feet makes agravating it far easier than most would think.

These are serious, long lasting injuries, that can become cronic. Some athletes have problems recovering from certain injuries. Herian was never the same after the compound fracture, not comparing the injuries, but it has a mental affect, trust, and fear of it happening again all have to be overcome.

It sounds like Taylor has the right attitude, and I am sure he was told to protect it, and take no chances with it during the game.

Here is hoping the stress of the injuries and the fan uproar over him does not hinder his mental recovery. I do not think it will, I expect to see him tearing it up this fall, but I would not be the least surprised at seeing him reinjure it during the season. Some people have weak ankles, and that will follow them their whole life.

 

[74Hunter]

I have seen several people predict that Taylor gets hurt. What kind of crystal ball do you have that you can foresee injuries?

I hurt my ankle pretty bad playing basketball almost 8 years ago. I must have tweaked it when I was walking to class yesterday, because it was hurting me to the point where I was limping for a while. Ankle injuries are something that can stay with you for a long time.

I can't imagine Martinez's ankle standing up to the kind of stress football entails; making cuts, twisting when getting tackled, etc. Most people fail to realize the lingering effects of ankle injuries, once its been injured, its much more likely to become re-injured.

While I'm sure that's very interesting, your anecdotal experience does not mean Taylor Martinez will re-injure his ankle.

I was attempting to show that even with months of rehab and time, it is still extremely difficult to get back to pre-injury health.

Understood, but it still does not mean Taylor Martinez will re-injure his ankle.

True. But he does not go into contact well, and takes big hits. It may not be the ankle or the toe, but unless he learns how to slip tackles and go down when he should, he will get injured again.

Nothing against the kid, but he takes hits.

 

[knapplc]

I have seen several people predict that Taylor gets hurt. What kind of crystal ball do you have that you can foresee injuries?

I hurt my ankle pretty bad playing basketball almost 8 years ago. I must have tweaked it when I was walking to class yesterday, because it was hurting me to the point where I was limping for a while. Ankle injuries are something that can stay with you for a long time.

I can't imagine Martinez's ankle standing up to the kind of stress football entails; making cuts, twisting when getting tackled, etc. Most people fail to realize the lingering effects of ankle injuries, once its been injured, its much more likely to become re-injured.

While I'm sure that's very interesting, your anecdotal experience does not mean Taylor Martinez will re-injure his ankle.

I was attempting to show that even with months of rehab and time, it is still extremely difficult to get back to pre-injury health.

Understood, but it still does not mean Taylor Martinez will re-injure his ankle.

True. But he does not go into contact well, and takes big hits. It may not be the ankle or the toe, but unless he learns how to slip tackles and go down when he should, he will get injured again.

Nothing against the kid, but he takes hits.

Now he "doesn't go into contact well?" When did this critique show up? He runs into contact pretty much the same way that everyone else on the team runs into contact - when he can he lowers his shoulder, but when it's tangential he absorbs the blow as best he can. Just like Rex, BK, Reed, and every other ball-carrier we've had in the past ten years.

Further, nothing you're saying means Taylor Martinez will re-injure his ankle - or any other part of his body. He is no more prone to an injury than Rex.

 

[skersfan]

I would agree Knapplc, if this staff portected him and allowed him to heal. This staff has a history of not protecting injured athletes, rushing them back on the field. He is a very important cog in this offense this year. Starting in a new conference with another freshman QB will be problems. We need his experience and we need him healthy to start the year.

If he reinjures the ankle again and again he will never be right. I did not see or hear the spring game, but it sounded like some felt he had not improved on his speed from the end of last year. I am hoping it was due to being told to take it easy, avoid cutting, and playing smarter in practice. I do not think the ankle is healed, it has not had enough time to do so.

 

[knapplc]

I would agree Knapplc, if this staff portected him and allowed him to heal. This staff has a history of not protecting injured athletes, rushing them back on the field. He is a very important cog in this offense this year. Starting in a new conference with another freshman QB will be problems. We need his experience and we need him healthy to start the year.

If he reinjures the ankle again and again he will never be right. I did not see or hear the spring game, but it sounded like some felt he had not improved on his speed from the end of last year. I am hoping it was due to being told to take it easy, avoid cutting, and playing smarter in practice. I do not think the ankle is healed, it has not had enough time to do so.

Not sure that's fair. Yes, they've made mistakes, but every year there are a TON of injuries, and who can we cite that they've rushed back early? Spano obviously, but certainly we can't say they rushed T-Mart back last year, and frankly I think they handled Lee with kid gloves when he could have played - at least, he looked functional (if not 100%) in warmups. Burkhead seemed to have an appropriate amount of healing time last year, as did Helu the year before. I have no great appreciation for this medical staff, but at the same time I think it's hard to label them with a blanket statement of rushing guys back.

 

[husker_99]

I'm not worried about Taylor, i'm just hoping we have a good back up so if he does get hurt again our offense isn't complete crap if he can't go.

 

[skersfan]

I think Rex was rushed. Any fracture to a lower extremeity normally takes considerably longer than that. I do not believe Taylor has ever healed, and rushed back game after game. To anyone who watched last year after the Missouri game, he was never the same, and if he has not improved or returned to form at this time, he should not have been out there. Spano was one and having Lee play the whole year injured the year before was questionable.

Some kids rough it through and are fortunate not to reinjure. Some are not. I think Taylor is too tough for his own good, and if he can walk he will go into the game. It becomes the coaching staffs choice as to whether he is truly ready, or we will use him because we have no suitable replacement. When you have one injury and try to play with it, you stand a good chance of additional injury by protecting the injury. IE Turf Toe.

I have dealt with many of the same injuries, alot of it depends on the kid, and his panin threshold. The need to finish what they start. I think Taylor is in that category, what ever it takes, he is going to try and do it. I do not know if what happened last year, with the continous aggravation of the injury was wise or not. My guess is he should have set for a couple of months and returned in the bowl game. But hindsight is always better.

Unfortunately, we do not have an adequate back up. Green will not win us games, he will lose us games. Carnes does not have the experience, and will most likely end up like Martinez, with youthful mistakes that cost him fan approval. Sophomore QB and freshman backup is not the way most programs start the season. It is going to be tough.

 

[kchusker_chris]

Unfortunately, we do not have an adequate back up. Green will not win us games, he will lose us games. Carnes does not have the experience, and will most likely end up like Martinez, with youthful mistakes that cost him fan approval. Sophomore QB and freshman backup is not the way most programs start the season. It is going to be tough.

You're basing this on his undefeated record as a starter I'm assuming?

 

[knapplc]

You're basing this on his undefeated record as a starter I'm assuming?

Games Started - Cody Green

2009 - Baylor (4-8) W

2009 - Oklahoma (8-5) W

2010 - Iowa State (5-7) W

2010 - Colorado (5-7) W

As long as we play teams with losing records, Cody is unbeatable. If they have a winning record, we'd better have Zac Lee's number (and pray he still has eligibility left somehow).

 

[kchusker_chris]

^ In the last couple of years I can only think of 1 game where you can attribute the loss to the QB (Oklahoma 2010). Maybe 2 (Washington 2010). To say that Cody will lose us games is a stretch. He might not win them all - but him having to shoulder the responsibility of the loss entirely isn't something I'd forsee. IMO, our problem isn't the lack of an adequate back-up...it's the lack of an adequate starter. If we had one we wouldn't be worrying so damn much about the backups.

 

[knapplc]

I didn't say Cody would lose us games. I said he has never QB'd a game where we beat a team with a winning record.

The QB didn't lose us the game against Oklahoma or Washington last year. Not sure why you think that, but it's not remotely true. We had a 17-0 lead over the Sooners and our defense let us down. The entire team took a crap in the bowl game, as has been well documented here. Pinning those losses on Martinez is a lot like saying Cody is responsible for beating Oklahoma in 2009.

 

[kchusker_chris]

I didn't say Cody would lose us games. I said he has never QB'd a game where we beat a team with a winning record.

The QB didn't lose us the game against Oklahoma or Washington last year. Not sure why you think that, but it's not remotely true. We had a 17-0 lead over the Sooners and our defense let us down. The entire team took a crap in the bowl game, as has been well documented here. Pinning those losses on Martinez is a lot like saying Cody is responsible for beating Oklahoma in 2009.

Pinning it on Martinez in April you mean? No one had a problem w/ it in January.