Sooners’ Gresham done for year, Bradford a month
It was great to be an Oklahoma Sooner fan or backer on WagerWeb.com just a few short days ago. After all, this team had gotten incredibly fortunate in seeing several stars return to school and put off the NFL for one more year.
That was Saturday.
Today, OU looks like a third-place team in the Big 12. Sooners All-American tight end Jermaine Gresham, who was one of those guys turning the NFL down, has been lost for the season. On Tuesday, Gresham, who was hurt last week in practice and missed the loss to BYU, had arthroscopic surgery to determine the extent of the cartilage damage in his right knee. Coach Bob Stoops said surgeons determined that Gresham needed stitches to repair the cartilage, and that he’ll need about five months to recover.
Gresham was Oklahoma’s top returning receiver with 66 catches for 950 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. He needed only five more TDs to tie the school’s career record of 31 set by Mark Clayton. The good news is that Gresham can come back again in 2010: He wasn’t redshirted as a freshman in 2006 and is due a fifth year if he wants it. There’s no word yet on what he wants to do on that front.
“He’s such a main target, presence on the field and quality player,” said Stoops, who broke the news to the team following Tuesday’s practice. “It changes everything.”
If the injury heals properly and the rehabilitation goes according to plan, Gresham could be 100 percent by the NFL Scouting Combine in late February.
In the meantime, coaches moved Brody Eldridge, who started at center against BYU, back to his original position at tight end, presumably to fill the void left by Gresham’s permanent absence.
And the news on Heisman Trophy winning QB Sam Bradford is a little better. After separating his shoulder against the Cougars, he will be out anywhere from 2-4 weeks. He expects to get back by the Texas game, but OU also faces Miami on Oct. 3 in a game the Sooners certainly could lose now if Bradford is out. That would officially end any OU national title hopes. And obviously Bradford won’t be winning a second Heisman.
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