'Unlucky 13' miss spring practice time due to different injuries

By Jake Trotter

Published: March 31, 2008

NORMAN — Looking to catch a glimpse of what Oklahoma's football team might look like next season?

Don't count on finding anything out by watching the Sooners' remaining spring scrimmages.

That's because OU's injury tally of significant players is at 13 and counting.

In the first open scrimmage Saturday, the Sooners were without running backs Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray, slot receivers Ryan Broyles and Manuel Johnson, wide receiver Adron Tennell, guard Duke Robinson, defensive ends Auston English and John Williams, linebackers Austin Box and Ryan Reynolds, cornerback Jonathan Nelson and safeties Nic Harris and Quinton Carter.

"You don't get a true look anyway with all the guys we got out,” coach Bob Stoops said after the scrimmage. "But a lot of our young guys are getting good work.”

What, if anything, do all these injuries mean?

In the cases of proven commodities like Johnson and Harris, very little.

Those two have game experience, and they know the system well enough that laboring through spring drills is superfluous.

But in the cases of untested redshirt freshmen like Box and Broyles, who are both going to miss the rest of the spring, these injuries mean a lot.

Both Box and Broyles are likely to play significant roles next season, even though neither has stepped on the field.

"It's not frustrating, but some of them needed the reps,” defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. "If there's a sense on desperation on our part it's feeding those guys reps.”

In the grand design, this unfortunate string of spring injuries could have minimal impact on the 2008 season.

That's because all 13 injured players should be at or close to 100 percent before the start of preseason practice.

Better the spring to be marred with injuries than the fall. But with a bit of luck, the marring of the spring will stop at the number "13.”

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