ACL Injuries: They're a fact of life in football, people

Shortly after Florida announced the loss of Dominique Easley for the season to a torn ACL, I made a prediction as to what the response of UF fans would be.

Re: Florida's rash of ACL injuries -- really just a case of bad luck for #UF, although I'm SURE someone will try to read deeper into it.
— Justin Wells (@justinlwells) September 25, 2013

Remember when Florida had a rash of knee injuries -- especially at the safety position -- in the summer of '08? Sometimes it happens.
— Justin Wells (@justinlwells) September 25, 2013

I wanted to expand on this matter a bit more in-depth. That 2008 team, which experienced a rash of ACL injuries, still went on to win a national championship. I'm not predicting the same fate for Florida this year, but the Gators can overcome their injury issues to have some semblance of a "succesful" season, depending on your definition of "success." The knee injuries the 2008 team encountered included the following:

– Safeties Dorian Munroe and John Curtis suffered ACL injuries during offseason conditioning drills in July. Combined with the loss of Jamar Hornsby (for some very notable off-the-field transgressions), UF went into the season with a razor-thin depth chart at safety.

– Expected to be a major factor on offense in 2008, Cornelius Ingram tore an ACL just two days into preseason camp for the Gators that August.

–  Not even a week later, reserve offensive lineman Jim Barrie and backup linebacker Brendan Beal would incur ACL injuries just two days apart, adding to the misery for UF fans heading into the season.

This fall for Florida, the Gators have seen an assortment of season-ending injuries. A torn labrum for Chaz Green, a surgically repaired shoulder for Nick Washington as well, a broken leg for Jeff Driskel, and ACL injuries for Andre Debose, Matt Rolin, and now Easley. It's been a rough two months in terms of health for Florida. If the Gators can avoid the injury bug from here on out, they still have a shot at a pretty good season. But if not, well, things could get ugly in a hurry.

For the fans that want to blame this on the Strength & Conditioning coaches: please stop. Everyone was singing their praises last fall. Did they suddenly just forget how to do their job? This is simply a freakish streak of bad luck that no one could prevent. There was nothing different for which Jeff Dillman and his staff could have done to prevent any of these injuries from happening. In fact, two of the ailments (Rolin and Washington) were simply re-injuries of previous issues both players had dating back to last season, when they were still in high school. Hopefully, both freshmen have received proper treatment and won't have any issues moving forward as they rehab during their redshirt seasons.

As for the notion that an indoor practice facility (or "IPF," for the football facility diehards) could have prevented Easley's injury, I'll just agree to disagree. Easley could have torn his ACL walking down the street and stepping off (or onto) a curb in the wrong fashion. It's just one of those things. Unless he was pushed around in a wheelchair all day, in a protective bubble, and didn't play football, there was no way to prevent this from happening. It was a non-contact injury. One of those freak things. Hopefully Easley's surgery goes well, and he rehabs quickly enough to put himself in a position to sneak into the bottom of the first round of next May's NFL Draft. That's really about all we can hope for at this point.

This is a bitter pill to swallow. I get it. Until Easley's injury, there was still a sense that this team could accomplish anything on its list of goals heading into a season. Despite the injuries. This one is different. It happened to a guy who came back for all the right reasons, and who was playing himself into a potential All-American. In many ways, Easley was the guy who stirred the drink of this 2013 squad. He'll still be there in spirit. The question is, can the other guys on this vaunted Florida defense step up in his absence? We'll get the first indications from Lexington just two days from now.

Class of 1994: Loaded to the brim with NFL Talent

This is the fourth installment in our running anthology of posts looking back at past recruiting classes for the Florida Gators. Today's entry highlights the Class of 1994.

Although only one national publication had the Gators ranked among the nation's top ten (Max Emfinger, who slotted Florida in eighth), Steve Spurrier announced an 18-man recruiting class on February 2, 1994 that would prove to be one of the most talented groups ever hauled in by the University of Florida:

Reidel Anthony, Back (5-11, 165), Belle Glade (Glades Central)
Teako Brown, Back (5-11, 185), Miami (Carol City)
Ed Chester, Line (6-4, 270), Spring Hill (Springstead)
Antonio Cochran, Line (6-4, 235), Montezuma, Ga. (Macon County)
Willie Cohens, Line (6-3, 216), Starke (Bradford)
Mo Collins, Line, Charlotte, N.C (6-5, 265), Charlotte, N.C. (West Charlotte)
Tony George, Back (6-0, 180), Cincinnati, Ohio (Winton Woods)
Jacquez Green, Back (5-9, 170), Fort Valley, Ga. (Peach County)
Ike Hilliard, Back (6-0, 175), Patterson, La. (Patterson)
Mike Jackson, Line (6-5, 235), Wrightsville, Ga. (Johnson County)
Terry Jackson, Back (6-0, 200), Gainesville (P.K. Yonge)
Nafis Karim, Back (5-11, 165), Marietta, Ga. (Pope)
Travis McGriff, Back (5-11, 175), Gainesville (P.K. Yonge)
Mike Peterson, Back (6-1, 205), Alachua (Santa Fe)
Jamie Richardson, Back (5-11, 165), Tallhassee (Godby)
Dossy Robbins, Back (6-1, 235), Marathon
Deac Story, Line (6-4, 275), Winter Park
Fred Taylor, Back (6-1, 215), Belle Glades (Glades Central)

– Unlike Spurrier's prior classes, this one had a much stronger out-of-state feel to it. Only 11-of-18 players signed by Florida in 1994 hailed from inside the Sunshine State (61.1%).

– The Gators landed eight of the consensus top-50 prospects from inside the state borders in 1994, trailing FSU (9) by one. Miami finished with five. Auburn and Mississippi State led out-of-state programs with three signees each.

– Eventual UF Director of Player Personnel Jon Haskins makes an appearance in the top-50 rankings in 1994, as the 6-3, 228-pound linebacker out of Sarasota Riverview elected to sign with Stanford.

– Two of Florida's '94 signees failed to qualify. Antonio Cochran would later enroll at Georgia in 1997 after going the JUCO route (he started off at Okaloosa-Walton in Niceville before moving on to Middle Georgia College.) Jamie Richardson would eventually get to Florida after deferring his enrollment for a year.

Biggest Hits: Where to start. Ten members of this class went on to play in the NFL (Anthony, Collins, George, Green, Hilliard, T. Jackson, McGriff, Peterson,Taylor and Antonio Cochran, despite the fact he never ended up playing for Florida.) Ed Chester would have made 11, but his career would come to a grinding halt when LSU decided to take out his knees on a fateful night at the Swamp back in 1998. Teako Brown and Willie Cohens were also valued contributors during their time at Florida, despite the fact they never moved on to the next level.

Biggest Misses: Dossy Robbins was touted as the state's No. 1 fullback prospect, a player who even earned comparisons to Jerome Bettis from his high school coach for his combination of size and strength. Alas, Robbins never lettered at Florida. A suspected heart condition ended Mike Jackson's career after he collapsed during a workout in October of 1995.

The ones who got away: Merritt Island defensive lineman Antonio Ham (6-5, 235), went back-and-forth between Florida and Miami before deciding to sign with the Hurricanes on National Singing Day. Lake Worth defensive back Deon Humphrey (6-3, 218) – who converted to linebacker at Florida State – also passed on the Gators despite a spirited recruiting effort from UF. Both Ham and Humphrey would go on to play in the NFL.

Academic issues prevented Sarasota Riverview defensive back Amp Campbell (6-2, 175) from signing with UF. He had a solid, if unspectacular, career at Michigan State. Florida made a run at Ft. Lauderdale Dillard defensive lineman Charles Dorsey (6-2, 255), who elected to stick to school tradition and sign with Auburn. Dorsey was one of seven players from the high school to sign with Auburn over a four-year period.

Although the Gators heavily wooed Peyton Manning (6-5, 202, New Orleans, La./Isidore Newman), the future No. 1 overall pick wound up selecting Tennessee over a short list that included Florida, Ole Miss (where father Archie and brother Eli played) and Michigan. The Gators missed out on another highly-rated Louisiana prospect to Tennessee that year in Marrero offensive lineman Jarvis Reado (6-5, 284).

One guy who got away from Florida on Signing Day, but would eventually come back into the fold was Tallahassee Lincoln offensive lineman Zach Piller (6-5, 265). Piller transferred to UF after spending a year at Georgia Tech.

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Tennessee signed a consensus top-two class (along with Florida State), a 22-man group that included the above-mentioned Manning and Reado, along with DE Johnathan Brown, DT Ron Green, PK Jeff Hall, DB Terry Fair and WR Marcus Nash.

The Seminoles' class included Humphrey, along with USA Today Defensive Player of the Year Lamont Green, who failed to live up to the hype while suiting up for the 'Noles. Other significant contributors included CB Samari Rolle and DT Orpheus Roye in a group that was somewhat underwhelming considering it was considered by some services to be the nation's top class.

In terms of pure talent, there is little doubt that this is the greatest class Florida has ever signed, pound-for-pound. If you throw in Zach Piller (who signed with GT but ended up at UF a year later), 11 of the 19 players that either signed or played for Florida would up in the NFL. Three of them were first-round draft picks (Anthony, Collins and Taylor). Despite some misses for the Gators on the trail in 1994, particularly on the offensive line and at linebacker, their evaluations turned out to be spot on. Or they just got a little lucky. Either way, it worked out for Spurrier and staff.

Class of 1992: The Foundation for a National Championship

This is the third installment in our running anthology of posts looking back at past recruiting classes for the Florida Gators. Today's entry highlights the Class of 1992.

After falling behind the Seminoles and the Hurricanes in the recruiting wars, the Gators made a loud statement when Steve Spurrier announced a 25-man signing class on Feb. 6, 1992. A group that was considered the consensus-No. 1 group in the country included the following:

David Barnard, Line (6-3, 280), Miami (Miami Senior)

Jim Bates, Jr., Back (6-2, 215), Sevierville, Tenn. (Sevier County)

Johnie Church, Back (6-3, 218), Fort Myers (Cypress Lake)

Cameron Davis, Line (6-4, 230), Lauderhill (St. Thomas Aquinas)

Tony Davis, Back (5-11, 190), Chipley

Dexter Daniels, Back (6-2, 225), Valdosta, Ga. (Valdosta)

Bart Edmiston, Kicker (5-10, 170), Pensacola (Washington)

Jerome Evans, Back (6-2, 222), Arcadia (DeSoto County)

McDonald Ferguson, Line, (6-2, 245), Miami (North Miami)

Reggie Green, Line (6-7, 297), Bradenton (Southeast)

Demetric Jackson, Back (6-1, 180), Lake City (Columbia)

Eric Kresser, Quarterback (6-3, 200), Palm Beach Gardens

Antone Lott, Back, (5-10, 180), Jacksonville (Raines)

Jeff Mitchell, Line (6-4, 240), Clearwater (Countryside)

Dwayne Mobley, Back (6-0, 215), Brooksville (Hernando)

Shawn Nunn, Back (6-3, 230), Ocala (Vanguard)

Jason Odom, Line (6-6, 283), Bartow

Nick Quintana, Line (6-4, 290), Miami (Senior)

Shea Showers, Back (5-11, 170), Alachua (Santa Fe)

Kenny Times, Back (6-1, 218), Winter Park (Lake Howell)

Andre Washington, Back (6-1, 215), Jacksonville (Ribault/Georgia/Florida C.C.)

Shawn Wilson, Back (6-1, 180), Virginia Beach (Bayside)

Lawrence Wright, Back (6-2, 195), Miami (North Miami/Valley Forge)

Danny Wuerffel, Quarterback (6-3, 193), Fort Walton Beach

Donnie Young, Line (6-3, 260), Venice

– Allen Wallace declared this group the top-ranked recruiting class in the country, while Max Emfinger named the Gators “co-champions” with LSU.

– Dexter Daniels earned 1991 USA Today Defensive Player of the Year honors. To date, Daniels remains the only player to win that award and sign with Florida.

– 22 of the 25 members of this signing class were from inside the state of Florida (88%)

– Times did not qualify in 1992 and had to defer his enrollment to the following year.

– Florida closed out with 14 of the state's consensus top-50 recruits, while FSU came in a close second with 13. Miami landed eight. It was a dominant year inside the state borders for the Big Three. Clemson and Michigan were the only out-of-state programs to land more than one top-50 prospect from Florida, but both were only able to grab two.

Biggest Hits: Making a list of who didn't pan out in this class is considerably easier. Wuerffel was the 1996 Heisman Trophy winner. Bates, Daniels, Green, Lott, Odom, Wright and Young all picked up All-SEC honors during their stay in Gainesville as well. In total, this class produced a total of six NFL Draft picks.

It should be noted that Reggie Green had a fine career in Gainesville, despite dealing with knee issues that prevented him from a likely 10-year career at the pro level.

Biggest Misses: Quintana flunked out of UF after the fall semester of '92, and did not return to the squad. A highly-decorated player coming in, a knee injury kept Wilson from contributing at UF.

Andre Washington, who had previously pulled an eleventh-hour switcheroo in 1990 and elected to sign with Georgia instead to Florida, ended up signing with UF as a part of the 1992 class. He left Georgia after his freshman season and transferred to Florida Community College in Jacksonville. However, the long-awaited debut of Washington never took place at UF, as he failed to earn his A.A. Degree and was not able to enroll at Florida.

Tony Davis was never able to make a significant presence in the offensive backfield. After threatening to leave midway through his freshman season, he would eventually be expelled from school in the fall of 1994.

The ones who got away: Even with as good as Florida's offensive line haul was in 1992, the Gators nearly made it that-much-better with the presence of future NFL Hall-of-Famer Jonathan Ogden. The 6-foot-8, 340-pound behemoth from St. Albans School in Washington D.C. was also a highly-regarded shot-putter at the prep level. His short list included the Gators and Notre Dame, but Ogden eventually signed with UCLA.

Aside from that one, there weren't many misses. Although Dexter Daniels had a solid career in Gainesville, he was actually overshadowed in the long run by prep rival Randall Godfrey, who played at Lowndes High School in Valdosta and ended up at Georgia. Godfrey went on to play 12 years in the NFL.

Florida State signed a very good class as well. Although not quite on the level of Florida's, it was rated as a consensus top-five group, led by WR/KR Tamerick Vanover and OL Marcus Long, both named first team All-America by the USA Today. QB Danny Kannell, OL Todd Fordham, P Sean Liss, LB Todd Rebol, DT Connell Spain as well as the Crockett brothers – FB Zack and LB Henri – were major contributors for the 'Noles as well.

SEC recruiting co-champ LSU's crop included highly-regarded TE David LaFleur and WR Eddie Kennison, a pair of first-round NFL draft picks. Two-time All-SEC DE Gabe Northern was also a part of the 1992 class for the Tigers. Otherwise, it was a mostly forgettable group.

Tom Lemming, speaking on National Signing Day in 1992, would do an excellent job looking into the crystal ball many years into the future with this quote:

The SEC is so far ahead of everybody else in the nation,” Lemming said at the time. “It's phenomenal.”

Wise words, to be sure.