Offseason surgeries should have Boilers fit by spring
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 12/01/2009
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Two of Purdue’s most highly productive football players will undergo offseason surgery for nagging injuries.
Junior wide receiver Keith Smith and junior defensive end Ryan Kerrigan will both have surgery this week on injuries sustained throughout the season.
Smith played most of the season injured with a torn ligament in his right wrist. He was injured during the Sept. 19 game against Northern Illinois and wore a green jersey in practice, leading many to speculate that he was being used for the wildcat offense.
However, Smith wore a cast during the week and was limited during practice.
Smith was scheduled to have surgery Monday and expects to be out three to four months, meaning he will not participate in full workouts during spring practices. He believes that his injury could help him hone his leadership skills.
“We’re going to keep it real short and light this spring,” Smith said after the team’s banquet. “I won’t be in any pads, but we’ll see how everything progresses. It will be a chance for me to get to play coach and get a lot of the younger guys some reps and help them along.”
Kerrigan broke the fifth metatarsal in his left foot near the end of the Boilermakers’ Nov. 21 38-21 win over Indiana. He noticed that his foot was sore during practice the week before, but didn’t think much of it.
“I was running up the field and trying to bend the corner and I felt it pop on me,” Kerrigan said. “It was pretty painful, but the Bucket definitely helped ease the pain a little bit.”
Kerrigan is scheduled to undergo surgery today, but will soon return to the Boilermakers and remains optimistic about his recovery time.
“I will need to have surgery, but I should be back within a few weeks to start winter conditioning,” Kerrigan said. “I’ll be 100 percent by spring ball.”
While these injuries are unfortunate, there couldn’t be a much better time for the two Boilers to undergo surgery, given that the team will need its record-breaking players healthy for next season.