PRACTICE NOTEBOOK: Shula downplays Darby knee injury
August 21, 2006
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Kenneth Darby runs upfield during a scrimmage at Bryant-Denny Stadium August 14.
File photo | Michael E. Palmer TUSCALOOSA | The University of Alabama football team got their biggest scare of fall camp Monday morning when star running back Kenneth Darby went down with a left knee injury.
The injury appeared to be serious initially, but after practice coach Mike Shula downplayed the severity of the situation.
“I think it’s just a bruised knee,” Shula said. “He came back out and felt alright at the end [of practice]. He just got a helmet right on his knee, but I think he should be fine.”
The Alabama offense was working in what Shula calls “backed up” drill, in which the offense works out from its own goal line.
Darby got the handoff and bounced it to the right side. Freshman defensive back Chris Rogers supplied the hit, and Darby was in immediate pain. He was on the ground for nearly five minutes, and then was helped off the field by two trainers.
The trainers took him inside the Hank Crisp Indoor Practice Facility, and about five minutes later Darby made his re-entry onto the practice fields with an ice pack on the front of his left knee.
While Darby was down on the field, his teammates showed concern as they came by to check on him.
“He was fine,” cornerback Ramzee Robinson said. “I was just checking on him to make sure he was okay, and he is, so that’s good.”
“It got everyone there quiet,” Shula said. “A couple of our older guys went down earlier, but they were okay. It’s football, unfortunately. You hate to see that, but it was good to see [Darby] pop back up.”
Senior defensive tackle Dominic Lee sustained an injury earlier in practice. The 6-foot-4, 289-pounder was down on the ground for several minutes before walking gingerly off the field with assistance.
Shula said Lee injured either his left hip or groin.
“He got banged up early, but it’s nothing that should keep him out,” Shula said. “Hopefully, he can go tonight, but if not maybe he’ll be ready to go by Tuesday.”
Sophomore center Antoine Caldwell also was banged up during practice. Caldwell had his right ankle taped heavily soon after.
Offensive guards B.J. Stabler (knee) and Marlon Davis (knee) were also held out of contact work this morning.
David Ross (knee), Glen Coffee (knee), Jamie Christensen (groin) and Justin Woodall (ankle) were all wearing orange jerseys this morning.
Offense gets work In the team period, sophomore quarterback John Parker Wilson completed 5-of-7 passes, including a long touchdown to Will Oakley. Marc Guillon did not complete a pass in three attempts.
In the red zone period, Wilson was 3-of-6 with a touchdown to Keith Brown. Wilson just missed on another score to Oakley when mock referee Chris Ball (defensive backs coach) ruled that Oakley had one foot out of the end zone.
Guillon was 1-of-2 with a touchdown pass to Tim Castille.
At Bryant-Denny Stadium tonight The Alabama football team will practice tonight 7:30 p.m. at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Shula said the main reason was to get the players some exposure to the lights at the stadium.
“Most of our games over there will be at night,” Shula said. “And we haven’t done that yet. We need to get the young guys used to the lights. We’ll have the scoreboards up. We’re trying to put them in an atmosphere that simulates a game.”
The workout is closed to both the public and the media.
Alabama plans on scrimmaging Tuesday afternoon at the practice facility. That workout will be closed to the public, but open to the media.
