North Carolina State University Athletics
McLendon's Knee Scoped; Doubtful for Duke Game
10/20/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 20, 2003
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C.-If T.A. McLendon has ever watched the movie Groundhog Day, then he can certainly relate to the monotony Bill Murray's character experienced day after day. Unfortunately for NC State's sophomore running back, history seems to repeat itself on a regular basis. After injuring a knee in the Wolfpack's 17-15 victory over Clemson on Thursday, McLendon underwent arthroscopic surgery the next day to repair a torn meniscus. According to head coach Chuck Amato, the oft-injured McLendon will likely be out anywhere from 7-10 days.
And although tailback Josh Brown is expected to pick up some of the slack with his return from a hip flexor and abdominal strain, Amato is ready to pull the trigger on a personnel move he's been considering for a couple of weeks now.
"No matter what, Reggie Davis is going to play this week," Amato said of the freshman tailback he initially planned to redshirt. "He's a big youngster; he's 6-1, 227 pounds. We've got to play him. He knows what we're doing because he's practiced everyday. He's not somebody who's been down on the scout squad or the show team. He's taken a lot of reps in practice every week and he had a couple of good scrimmages back in two-a-days. He might get five snaps or he might get 35. We were going to do it last week because we really weren't sure about T.A."
Although his knee locked up on him before halftime against Clemson, McLendon returned to the field in the second half and actually made a couple of crucial runs for a first down that allowed NC State to run out the clock in the final minutes.
"He made some 7-yard and 5-yard runs at the end of that football game that made you wonder what he would look like with two good legs," Amato said. "He looked awfully good there. It swelled up [the next day], so I said go ahead and correct it."
Amato said he was holding out hope McLendon would be back for Virginia's visit to Carter-Finley Stadium on November 1st.
Davis, a rookie from Tallahassee, Florida, rushed for 1,597 yards and 15 touchdowns in his senior year at Godby High School. He was honorable mention all-state and was named the Tallahassee Offensive Player of the Year.
Another option at tailback for the Wolfpack is Tramain Hall, who has mixed in some work in the backfield while spending most of his time as a slot receiver. With McLendon's health tenuous most of the season, the versatile Hall has been preparing himself every week to help out at multiple positions.
"He (McLendon) may not come back this week so I think I'll prepare myself to get out there and take some licks from the big guys," Hall said. "When you don't have T.A. out there, it hurts in the 3rd and ones and the goal line and things like that. Everyday, you've got to pray that the guy's going to be alright, but you don't know what his status is going to be. He might walk down the stairs and sprain an ankle the way things have been going."
NC State's injury problems aren't restricted to the normal football-related bumps and bruises. On his way to the coast on Friday afternoon, guard Ashley Wingate was involved in a frightening head on collision with another car that had come across the median heading in the wrong direction. Wingate came away with a broken tibia and fibula. The walk-on from Raleigh is currently recovering from surgery on his injured leg.
"He's lucky to be alive," Amato said. "I saw him Saturday morning at the hospital. He was in the operating room until 2 o'clock in the morning and he was in the recovery room until about 4 a.m. He's lucky he was in a big truck."
Last year, Wingate took over at guard when Shane Riggs went down with a knee injury. He also saw playing time a few weeks ago when Rick Fowler left the line-up against Connecticut with a knee sprain. Fowler, who underwent arthroscopic surgery after that game, is listed as doubtful for Saturday's game.
The absences of Fowler and Wingate further decimate an offensive line that has been missing all-conference left tackle Chris Colmer (Parsonage Turner Syndrome) for the entire season.
Against Clemson on Thursday night, highly-touted freshman Derek Morris got his first taste of Division 1-A football when he was in for some crucial snaps in the second half. While Morris was in the game at right tackle, senior Sean Locklear moved inside one spot to right guard, the position he played all of last season.
"Derek has been coming along, coming along, coming along," Amato said. "It was just a matter of time. With the injury situation, he played 20 snaps the other day and did a fairly good job against a very good front and some very good ends. Just because he's going to play doesn't mean he's ready, but we're going to get him there."
Starting cornerback Lamont Reid, who also missed the Clemson game with a subluxed shoulder, is listed as doubtful as well for the Duke game.
