J.T. Brooks: BATTLING BACK

[PonyPride]

The SMU offensive line fared better than some expected last year, in the first year in which they were asked to block in a stand-up two-point stance as the front line of head coach June Jones' Run-and-Shoot offense. But an already-young group got younger over the offseason with the loss to graduation of tackles Tommy Poynter and Vincent Chase, and guard Sean Lobo, making the returning players even more vital to the success of the offense in 2009.

One player expected to step into a starting role is sophomore J.T. Brooks, who spent the offseason and spring preparing to fill the void left at right tackle with the graduations of Poynter and Chase. Throughout the spring and the early portion of the August preseason workouts, Brooks manned the spot at the right end of the line. But a week ago, when his sore left knee flared up again, Brooks was sidelined.

"I went out at the end of last week, so it's been almost a week," Brooks said when he returned Thursday to the practice field. "I had an MRI, and it showed a partial tear of the patellar tendon, and since last season, I've struggled a little with tendonosis, so the fact that it has bothered me a little this week isn't a huge surprise, I guess."

Tendonosis is a "chronic form of tendonitis," and while it makes his knee tender, Brooks said he expects to play through it.

"It's not real bad — if we had a game tomorrow, I'd be playing," he said. "It's going to need surgery eventually, but I'm going to try to get through the season, because this kind of tear has a four-month recovery period, so if i get it now, I'm done for the year."

Brooks said the tender knee affects him the most in his quickness, and when he's trying to stay low while blocking, but thanks to the week of rest, he expects to be ready to go when Stephen F. Austin ventures into Ford Stadium next Saturday in the Mustangs' season opener.

This isn't the first time Brooks has had trouble with his knees; as a sophomore in high school, he tore his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), MCL (medial collateral ligament) and PCL (posterior cruciate ligament).

"There's no comparison," he said.

When he returned to the field Thursday, he only took part in about 25 percent of the offensive line's drills.

"They're easing me back in," Brooks said. "With a patellar tendon, the only thing you can really do is rest it."

In his absence, Brooks' right tackle spot on the first-team offensive line was filled by true freshman Bryan Collins, and after spending a week as an observer, Brooks sounded impressed.

"I thought Bryan did really well," Brooks said. "He has really quick feet, and he's pretty powerful. He'll get stronger, but he did a really nice job."

Compliments aside, Brooks is fully confident that when the Ponies' offense takes the field for the first time Saturday night, he is the one who will be protecting Bo Levi Mitchell's right side.

"We're taking this one day at a time," he said. "They (the team doctors) are just trying to be conservative with it, to be smart with it. It's feeling better, and if we're smart about it, I can get through the season just fine."

[kull]

thanks Pride

[Scoops]

Good stuff. Hope J.T.'s ready to roll next week!

[StallionsModelT]

Hopefully this will not be too unbearable for JT. Those lingering injuries like that are sometimes just as difficult to deal with as a major injury.