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Memphis Tigers Football
News
9-11-06
HUDGENS OUT FOR THE YEAR WITH INJURY
MEMPHIS, TENN. - Sophomore
backup quarterback Will Hudgens will miss the remainder
of the 2006 football season because of a non-displaced
tibial plateau fracture in his right leg, Coach
Tommy West announced this morning in his weekly
press luncheon. It is the third straight season
that Hudgens has been sidelined with an injury.
Hudgens went into the game in the third quarter
against Chattanooga and was tackled and left the
field with a slight limp. He returned to the game
at the end of the fourth quarter. Hudgens missed
all but three games last season after suffering
a fibula fracture with ligament and soft tissue
damage in his right leg against Tulsa.
"Will went back into the game, and then yesterday
he was swollen," said West. "We felt like it was
all outside of the knee and really felt good about
it. The MRI this morning showed a crack in the tibia.
"He's obviously very distraught," added West. "This
is three years in a row from the knee construction
to the broken leg last season and then this. He's
pretty down in the dumps, and rightfully so. I told
him that when those many things happen, something
good is going to happen."
A native of Memphis, Hudgens had also redshirted
his true freshman season after he had a knee injury
in a basketball game while he was in high school.
He had earned the backup quarterback role prior
to the start of the 2006 season and had two pass
completions for 14 yards before leaving the Chattanooga
contest.
Hudgens has played in five total career games, starting
the Chattanooga and Tulsa meetings last year. He
has completed 35 of his 66 pass attempts for 427
yards and three touchdowns.
"It kills me because I really have confidence in
him, and you saw it Saturday night," West said.
"I had enough confidence in Will that when it looked
like Martin (Hankins) was still struggling in the
second series (of the third quarter), I put him
in the game. Will has really done well, and I've
said he's probably the most improved player on our
team."
In 2005, the Tigers lost eight starters to injuries,
including Hudgens and quarterback Patrick Byrne
who both broke their legs. Byrne, who now will be
the backup quarterback to Martin Hankins, broke
his right leg on Memphis' first offensive series
in the 2005 season opener against Ole Miss.
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