injury bug
- Thread starter bonefish1
- Start date
Losing Trice was/is a killer. We were very fortunate that Brown wasn’t called for more PIs, or beaten deep more.
Luck has NOT been with Purdue in the injury department. There have been more injuries to key players than I have ever witnessed. Moore, Karlaftis, Neal, Bell, Doerue, Horvath, Trice, and the list goes on, just the past couple of years.
It's uncanny the injuries we have had and to so many different positions. I blame poor officiating on a lot of injuries because they do nothing to curtail some things from happening and it only seems to inspire players to see what they can get away with, then people get hurt.
Injuries in practice happen, but yes it seems to happen to us more than I hear anywhere else and has been that way for a long time.
Injuries in practice happen, but yes it seems to happen to us more than I hear anywhere else and has been that way for a long time.
IMO our injuries are magnified by our lack of depth chart says Mr. Obvious
I agree there is a large degree of randomness with injuries, but also as an engineer don't necessarily believe in pure luck. Everything is a variable. Now, whether there are any variables within the control of the players or coaching staff is another question. Probably not to any significant degree, but maybe it is an issue worthy of further study. I think it would be an interesting grad level research project to study the variables - playing surfaces, practice surfaces, footwear, training regiments, diet, supplements - and to identify any trends, variable interactions, leading indicators, etc. with respect to non-contact injuries.
That's because you don't follow other teams as closely. If you did you would have a better appreciation for all the injuries other teams are dealing with.
Also, Purdue just doesn't have the depth to cover up some of these injuries. Purdue basically is down to one serviceable running back after Horvath got hurt. A blind man could have saw the issues at running back coming,
Also, a deep dive into whether Purdue has more injuries than any other team or if its just our perception.
I actually was impressed with Brown. Did I miss a play or two were he got beat or had a penalty called against him?
Other teams have injuries. No teams have injuries to two different star wide receivers in consecutive years. It's the shit luck of Purdue. I'm a firm believer in it after Hummel got hurt...
Been thinking about this, think about it every year. We are in a situation where if we have a few standout players, they play the majority of snaps and simple math says the more you play, the greater your chance of injury. Those key players also tend to be leaders who take it on themselves to push themselves even harder (which is one of the things that makes a great player) but in turn can put their bodies into situations that have a greater potential for injury. The key players also draw attention from the opposing players. Anyone remember the Auburn player caught on camera literally twisting Rodale's ankle in the pile? I would be very interested in seeing the injury list on a team that started the year with high potential but finished mediocre versus one who started with high expectations and finished strong. That may be the difference of a good season for any team not in the top ten (and a few that are/were).
Having said all that, it sure does seem like we've been injury snake-bit for longer than we haven't.
Injuries happen. I don't believe we are more snake bitten than other programs. Only cavaet is when we had such a week OL that our QB's were getting the crap kicked out of them.
Hope our trainers are on their "A" game and get players returning safely ASAP.
Looking back, during his 3+ years here it's amazing Drew did not incur an injury significant enough for him to miss PT. Especially when you consider all those QB draws against some very tough defenses... defenses that were incredibly frustrated at being picked apart by him ...
He got beat a couple times but their crummy QB missed the receiver. Also got away with PI/holding several times.
I now live in Iowa City, and am a Purdue grad that follows both the Boilers and Hawkeyes. Over the past 3-4 years, it seems like the Boilers have had significantly more injuries than the Hawks particularly with offensive linemen and receivers. Could this be a strength and conditioning issue?
Per the O-line, as noted prior God (or nature, if that's your bag) only makes so many frames that can hold the required 280-310 pounds of muscle, coupled with a brain that can memorize and execute the required array of sets and plays. That number is decreasing from the high point in the 80's. There are less "big Ole Hoss" farm kids coming out of the Great Plains (ask Nebraska, Minny... although Wisky still get'em) less kids playing football (buddy of mine has a sharp 230 pound HS freshman son who wants to play bass viola instead of tackle. And that's okay.) and more teams to pick from.
So you get what you get. The kids that are naturals to the position end up the most prized and at the schools that will utilize those abilities. Everybody else works with projects that take 2-3 years to get to where they can be effective.
Tiller used to say they looked for bodies they could add pounds to. The success rate of some of those kids in the pros seems like we were on the right track (for the first few years, anyway). I always thought you can add the muscle, but you can't increase the tendon/ligament density as much, and that extra force without the check had the potential to lead to more injuries.
Interesting to note the SEC's answer to the O-line question is speed.
Maybe the answer is to pick more eggs from the transfer basket? Screen out those whose bodies cannot hold up to 2-3 years of a D1 S&C program?
I really like that, but we will be "standing in line" for the privilege, I think. If only some of those smoking-hot V-ball players with great knees from years ago had complied with my request for marriage and a dozen kids.
We'd be stocked at 2 or 3 positions!!!
True. But aren't we also standing in line for the talented but unproven high school recruits? Maybe that's a shorter line than the durable transfer line.I really like that, but we will be "standing in line" for the privilege, I think. If only some of those smoking-hot V-ball players with great knees from years ago had complied with my request for marriage and a dozen kids.
With transfers becoming more normalized maybe the transfer pool gets deeper moving forward.
So was losing Horvath...
So is losing Bell...and, apparently now Rice also...
It all is compounded by any depth at those positions...just as was the case with the OL...and, compounded more by the fact that the best player's on the team have been/are being affected.
To think though that Purdue had only two RBs on the roster with any experience (one that was a former walk-on), and, added another walk-on...is pretty crazy,,,and, is concerning.
Whiffing on Hewitt and Murphy in back to back classes is a killer.
Guys ended up at Eastern Kentucky and Rhode Island. Both FCS programs,
Murphy has gained 17 yards on 5 carries in 3 games this year for Rhode Island. Hewitt has around 110 yards in 3 games. I'm not sure either one would be helping us.
To be fair Murphy was recruited by a lot of people out of High School. Hewitt, not so much.
As you said, it's not often you see OL come right into P5 programs and start as freshman. There's just too much physical development needed to turn what is sometimes, a lot of baby fat, into strength and girth. That takes a lot of time in the weight room, at the training table, and just building a body that can move 300+ pounds quickly and efficiently (with another 300 pounder pushing in the other direction).
But, you do see players at the skill positions who can have an impact at FR. But, it does seem that PU has suffered a lot of injuries to key players at the skill positions.
Is that a function of bad teams or just bad luck? (similar to bad teams have more penalties and turnovers?)
