[Ed Note: Zach's got a bunch more on the team's injury bug below. This is just getting depressing.]
Two choices, and death is not an option. 1) You can be a mine sweeper in North Korea using only a long stick; or 2) Play cornerback for Michigan. Easy choice isn't it. Sounds safer in North Korea.
At this point jokes are all we've got to keep us from crying. Rich Rodriguez announced today that J.T. Floyd, Michigan's most experienced cornerback, will miss the remainder of the 2010 season with an ankle injury. Thankfully, Floyd did not break any bones in his ankle. However, the red-shirt sophomore did tear up his ligaments and tendons bad enough to require surgery. At this point it's unknown whether Floyd will be back in time for Spring practice, but he is most assuredly not going to be back before then.
Ankle injuries suck. Rehab sucks. Knowing you're going in for surgery sucks. It's difficult to put into words just how bad I feel for J.T. right now and how miserable the next few months of teaching his foot and ankle how to move normally are going to be. Man.........
What the injury means in the short run is that Michigan is now even younger than it was at the start of the season, if that's possible. James Rogers will start as Corner #1 and some amalgum of Courtney Avery, Terrence Talbott, and Cullen Christian will do their best to take Floyd's place against Illinois. If I'm betting, I'll put my money on Courtney Avery to take Floyd's slot with Talbott taking the nickle package position. According to Ann Arbor dot Com, that's how it'll shake out.
Just thinking about what's happened to the secondary over the last season makes you want to slit your figurative wrists. I'd rather read the Joy Luck Club than read anything more about our secondary. But since I'm a masochist:
Cornerback Justin Turner transferred to West Virginia in August and safety Vlad Emilien departed in September. Recruits Adrian Witty and Demar Dorsey never made it to the field because of academic obstacles.Top cornerback Donovan Warren left the team as a junior to enter the NFL Draft, only to by bypassed through all seven rounds. Backup safeties Jared Van Slyke and Mike Williams both sustained season-ending injuries in the preseason.
Sigh.... I mean.... what else can you say? Cue the Skynyrd...