Engel status UPDATED 11/22: Rumors confirmed, torn ACL

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Per Marcus's tweet:

Kill said again WR Derrick Engel has caught some punts in practice this week and that the #Gophers are going to be cautious with his knee.
 


MCL/ACL strain? Cortisone shots may allow him to play limited action. Just speculating. It is his senior year in the highlight game of his career. If he wants to play, he risks further injury. Should he sit out and save himself for the bowl game? Either way, tough decision for the kid and the coaches & trainers. It all boils down to the MRI & accurate diagnosis.
 

Gopherdrummer said:
Isn't there such a thing as an ACL sprain or strain? Perhaps his knee injury is "minor" but enough to keep him off the field...
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Maybe, but I've never heard of a team hiding the fact that a player tore their ACL (someone correct me if I'm wrong). It might be a strain or sprain. Which would allow him to be back for the bowl game potentially.
 

afurry91 said:
So he definitely didn't tear his ACL if he caught punts this week.
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Not necessarily true. I tore my ACL in high school playing baseball. At the time, I didn't know I seriously injured myself and was back in a week and a half. I even made it to the fall, and went through 2 weeks of football practice. My knee buckled a few times during practice so I finally went and got an MRI.

It's probably really sore and stiff, but if he can put a brace on it and get it loose, he could field punts. I wouldn't expect it though. He probably won't be moving real quick. Especially with it being 20 degrees.

We can't afford a lapse on special teams. I'll be nervous with every punt on Saturday. On the flip side, if Jones is the guy, he has a better chance of breaking one. Has Donovahn Jones ever fielded punts?
 


JK smokescreen. I love it. get yer opponent down by 14 when its 10 degrees out.
 

An ACL tear won't hurt, no nerves in that tendon. Most people that have torn ACLs aren't even aware of the tear. If when you injured it you also damaged another part of the knee, that's where the pain kicks in. An ACL tear also won't ever heal on its own. You either live with it or go thru surgery to get a new one. If it's just a small tear, he'll probably try going the rest of the season and then do surgery afterwards. If it's a large tear (more than 2/3rd thru) then he's probably done playing football.
 

Don't Sell Engel Short

jaymil said:
It could be a case of Engel wanting to make sure 100% that he can't play with the injury so he's giving it a shot, even if it is an ACL. Didn't a Purdue QB play with a torn ACL last year? Derrick's a senior and probably doesn't have an NFL future. I'm sure he'd do anything to play in this game.
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Don't sell Engel short on a possible future in the NFL. He has lots of ability and a determination to succeed. He has really improved since getting playing time and has become a playmaker consistently.
 

Uffda said:
Don't sell Engel short on a possible future in the NFL. He has lots of ability and a determination to succeed. He has really improved since getting playing time and has become a playmaker consistently.
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Any idea what his 40 time is? I recall seeing he is fast. It's really tough to get a look in the league, but if he has that goal he should Gopher it.
 



Here it is - next man up. Donovahn, Drew W, Maxx and Drew G. Time to step up to greatness boys. You guys are blessed with this chance. They say that luck is where preparation and desire meets circumstance. Make it count!
 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Gophers&src=hash">#Gophers</a> receiver Derrick Engel has a torn ACL, likely done for the season: <a href="http://t.co/ytcUFXoEuP">http://t.co/ytcUFXoEuP</a></p>— JoeChristensen (@JoeCStrib) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeCStrib/statuses/403963448884600832">November 22, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 


Really feel bad for the kid. Hopefully the team rises up and wins one for Derrick.
 




cduff said:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Gophers&src=hash">#Gophers</a> receiver Derrick Engel has a torn ACL, likely done for the season: <a href="http://t.co/ytcUFXoEuP">http://t.co/ytcUFXoEuP</a></p>— JoeChristensen (@JoeCStrib) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeCStrib/statuses/403963448884600832">November 22, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Likely done for the season? Way to go out on a limb Strib
 

maroonedinCA said:
Likely done for the season? Way to go out on a limb Strib
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Boobie Miles.

If the doc with the results is from Midland (or Madison), chances are Engle will make an ill advised return to the gridiron tomorrow.
 

Schnauzer said:
If the doc with the results is from Midland (or Madison), chances are Engle will make an ill advised return to the gridiron tomorrow.
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This. Kid's done his job. Let him get his health back.
 


maroonedinCA said:
Likely done for the season? Way to go out on a limb Strib
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I was thinking the same thing. I would call a torn ACL in late November a sure sign that the players season is over even under the most aggressive treatment plans.

That is too bad, was really hoping when he was listed as questionable that it was not as bad as initial reports. Shame to see his career end on a practice injury.
 

Technically you can play through a torn ACL, assuming the swelling is down and the person is in a stabilizing knee brace. Seems to be less and less common nowadays for people to opt for the non-surgical route, probably because ACL surgeries are so succesful now. That being said, I'm a physical therapist and I have helped people rehab a torn ACL who have chosen to play through it. As a WR whose main attribute is speed, I would assume Engel would be unlikely to pick the non-surgical route (and almost indefinitely wouldn't play 6 days after tearing it because the swelling would still be too great). However, it isn't impossible, and he's a senior, so who knows.
 

The Goofy Gopher said:
Technically you can play through a torn ACL, assuming the swelling is down and the person is in a stabilizing knee brace. Seems to be less and less common nowadays for people to opt for the non-surgical route, probably because ACL surgeries are so succesful now. That being said, I'm a physical therapist and I have helped people rehab a torn ACL who have chosen to play through it. As a WR whose main attribute is speed, I would assume Engel would be unlikely to pick the non-surgical route (and almost indefinitely wouldn't play 6 days after tearing it because the swelling would still be too great). However, it isn't impossible, and he's a senior, so who knows.
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So, are there any long term risks when playing on a torn ACL besides tearing it completely?
 

EE_Gopher said:
So, are there any long term risks when playing on a torn ACL besides tearing it completely?
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Further aggravation of the original knee injury would probably be the primary concern. For example, he may have just torn his ACL the first time, however further play on an unstable joint may lead to cumulative trauma if there is any cartilage damage and/or a bone bruise (which there usually is), or if he's unlucky, he may tear additional structures while playing on it (meniscal tear, MCL tear). In theory, wearing a really good, custom fit brace (like the one Trevor Mbakwe wore for awhile last year) would minimize the risk of anything SUPER serious happening. However, he'd certainly have some risks. He would also be at increased risk of injuring the same side ankle and/or hip while compensating, as well as the other knee.

The reason most people (especially athletes in a cutting sport like football) would want a surgery is to get rid of the 'pivot shift' or 'giving out' sensation in the joint while trying to cut on it. If it were his right knee, for example, he would feel the knee 'give out' on him while cutting on the right foot. This is obviously an important move for a WR to be able to make, so again I would be surprised if he opted to try to play through the injury, but it's possible.
 

maroonedinCA said:
Likely done for the season? Way to go out on a limb Strib
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Well, "a person familiar with the injury" is slightly shaky as a source. It may very well be accurate, of course, but we don't really know what his source knows.
 

Do you really want to listen to a guy who calls himself the "Goofy Gopher"

JK. I know him and he knows what he's talking about at least 50% of the time.
 

That's the million dollar question, markiemark. Certainly Engel wouldn't want to tomorrow morning, as I'm holding my frozen beer in one hand and a bottle of Hot 100 in the other screaming "PAIN IS JUST WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY, DERRICK! IT'S $#*&^$# WISCONSIN! WE NEED YOU!!!"
 

Schnauzer said:
Boobie Miles.

If the doc with the results is from Midland (or Madison), chances are Engle will make an ill advised return to the gridiron tomorrow.
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Are we sure the doctor that examined the results didn't earn his undergrad from Wisconsin? :)
 

The Goofy Gopher said:
... I would be surprised if he opted to try to play through the injury, but it's possible.
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To reiterate what I said a couple of days ago...so you're telling me there's a chance? What do you think about the fact that he was out catching punts on Wednesday?

RodentRampage said:
Well, "a person familiar with the injury" is slightly shaky as a source. It may very well be accurate, of course, but we don't really know what his source knows.
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I don't click on strib links. Did he state that in his blog?

I'm kinda hoping Derrick's tear is minor enough for him to be able to get on the field, even if it's just for a play, for his sake, not anyone else's. Might be interesting to see what Wisc would do if he stepped on the field a couple of yards for a 3rd down play with the game tied in the fourth quarter. Or, while I'm fantasizing, he limps down the field, the CB falls down, he catches the winning TD...
 

killme said:
To reiterate what I said a couple of days ago...so you're telling me there's a chance? What do you think about the fact that he was out catching punts on Wednesday?

Yes, I am telling you there is a chance he could play at some point this season. I find it highly unlikely that he could be effective as a WR with a torn ACL, especially 6 days after tearing it. I would think there would still be too much swelling to play tomorrow. People have played on a torn ACL, though. RGIII played on a torn LCL last year. And then subsequently further tore his LCL and his ACL. Washington's turf sucked, though.

I'm guessing he was catching punts to "test" the knee while awaiting the results of his MRI. He's questionable now, right?
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killme said:
I don't click on strib links. Did he state that in his blog?
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Yes. From his blog: "The knee injury Gophers wide receiver Derrick Engel suffered last Sunday is a torn anterior cruciate ligament that likely spells the end of his college career, a person familiar with the injury told the Star Tribune on Friday."

That's one of the problems with rumors from unnamed sources, you just don't know what the quality of their information is. Does the source have first-hand information? We don't know.
 

I guess one angle I had not really looked at initially is if he feels he can do enough he might try to play on it given that this is the end of his football career (assuming he doesn't play arena or something like that). Seems like it would be pretty unprecedented for a WR to play with a torn ACL but in this crazy year we could just add it to the list of unprecedented occurrences and call it a day. Will add a nice subtext to the eventual Disney movie that will be made about this season :cool02:
 

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