North Carolina State University Athletics
Don't Tell Tech About Injuries
10/28/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
The relentless rash of injuries that have continued to hit the NC State football team since the opening week of the season has been well documented. But the Wolfpack won't get a lot of sympathy from Georgia Tech when it travels to Atlanta this weekend.
Like NC State and a few other ACC teams, the Jackets have also been ravaged by the injury bug this season.
"We've had kids with nagging injuries in past years who missed a game or two, but right now, we've lost a good number for the season." Said Georgia Tech head coach George O'Leary. "From what I've seen from some of the other teams, they're also in the same boat. Sometimes those things happen. That's why I've always said, 'you're only as good as your second team,' because they end up playing before the year is over."
The Yellow Jackets defense, which is ranked seventh in the ACC, suffered a major blow this week when it was announced that starting middle linebacker Matt Uremovich would miss the remainder of the season with a contusion on his spinal cord.
"That was strictly the doctor's decision," O'Leary said. "He had a bulging ligament that was bruising the spinal cord, and safety is the number one thing you look at. It's going to be reevaluated in January and then a decision will be made on his future. I'm the one who basically instigated it because I just didn't see him doing some of the things he was doing in past years as far as finishing tackles."
Uremovich, a sophomore, leaves as Tech's leading tackler with 51. He'll be replaced in the starting line-up by sophomore Ross Mitchell, who will make his first career start against NC State.
O'Leary will welcome back one of his injured defensive starters back this week when senior defensive back Travares Tillman makes his return to the line-up.
On offense, the Jackets have lost running backs Joe Burns and Phillip Rogers for the year. Rogers' season ended when he sustained a leg injury in Tech's last game against Duke ten days ago. Filling the void left by Rogers will be sophomore Sean Gregory, who has rushed for 353 yards and five touchdowns this season.
