The Blue Horizon
3 comments so far
March 28, 2008 by
As we roll into Spring and see the inevitable forecasts of what the depth chart will look like, the name Anthony Blue continues to appear. That was understandable prior to his knee injury, or even before the details came out that it was the dreaded anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. But it’s a little puzzling that since it became known that it was indeed his ACL, that you keep hearing people penciling Blue in to start at cornerback.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but these ACL tears take a long time to heal. Sure we could see him participating this fall, but not at the level you really want from your starting cornerback. Consider Blue’s presence at the top of the depth chart in September as one of two things: an out and out miracle, or an alarming sign that the Huskers lack another viable option at corner.
The best outcome for the team and Blue as well will likely be a redshirt for the 2008 season. That way the knee can be given a chance to fully heal before he starts making hard cuts on it and the chances of another injury (the dreaded ACL tear to the second knee) can be minimized. Rushing Blue back in means burning a year of eligibility, a year in which he will undoubtedly be less than 100%. The redshirt means a better year from Blue down the road when the team around him will likely be better as well.
So as we look ahead to the return of Anthony Blue, let’s hope we’re looking into 2009.
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ze bop Mar 28 08
i think redshirting Blue for the year is the way to go; why risk it? I mean, Bowman just wasnt quite the same last year after returning in a fairly short time from a similar injury...
Actually, i haven't been keeping up with the exact roster choices at cb, but it seemed like we had some other up and comers last year who can do a decent job, though Blue was the best--and fastest, it appeared.
I just trust BO and staff's ability to coach up any of his current 'resources' and therefore, unlike Cali's teams, i think next year's Huskers will be able to win some games that they aren't favored in(which could be the majority).
Husker Mike Mar 28 08
Far be it from me to play doctor, but in recent years, players have been able to return to the field in 6 to 9 months after an ACL injury. So it's likely that Blue COULD play this season.
That being said, one universal thread of just about every case that I've read is that it takes about 18 months to return to the previous level.
So, as Steve says, the ideal situation would have Blue redshirting this fall and continuing his development work on the scout team, working patiently to get his knee back into shape. If Blue plays, either we have a medical marvel underway or a very unfortunate shortage of talent in the secondary.
Ty Hughes Mar 28 08
I wouldn't put much stock in the depth chart. Pelini hasn't released an official one and he's commented several times that there is open competition. Whether Blue can come back or not is secondary. A redshirt would be great, for him (us), but I wouldn't be surprised to see him rehab and be ready by Fall. That's 8 months from surgery. Nevertheless, here's to his full recovery for his own sake.