Sophomore wide receiver Ryan Walker said Tuesday that he is out at least another month after an MRI revealed that his troublesome right hamstring is torn.
"I might have done it in June, when I was running," Walker said. "We ran some 75s, and I felt it go, but there was no swelling or discoloration, so we didn't think it was torn.
"The good news is that it's not torn off the bone, so surgery isn't required. Best-case scenario: I'm out six weeks, and it's already been two, so that would mean I'm back in the beginning of October. The worst-case scenario, I'd be out a lot longer. We'll have to wait and see how it responds."
Walker cranked up his offseason workout routine and had gotten much stronger, increasing his bench press to 315 pounds and his squat to more than 400, inspiring a level of optimism that only increases his frustration from the injury.
"I was a lot stronger than I've ever been," Walker said, "and it's frustrating because the coaches said I was competing for a spot" in the rotation.
Because he appeared in a pair of games in 2009, Walker retains the option of sitting out the year as a redshirt and returning in 2011, but said that's not his preference.
"I didn't redshirt last year, so I guess that's possible," he said. "If that's what they decide to do, I'll work as hard as I can to come back and be on the scout team. I'll go hard every day in practice to give the defense a good look, and I'll get to go against Sterling Moore every day, so I'll get better, too."
Walker said the hamstring is not bothering him now, even when walking up stairs, and that his rehab has progressed to the point that he now is working on an elliptical machine. The hard part, he said, is going to be resisting the urge to push too hard while rehabilitating the injury, thereby risking more damage to the leg and possibly allowing wide receivers coach Jeff Reinebold to move a young receiver above Walker on the depth chart.
"I don't want to just give my spot away," Walker said. "We have a lot of talented guys, including the freshmen, but I'm a competitive guy. Coach Reinebold said I'd be working outside and inside, and I'll field punts, too — I don't mind getting hit. I'm just a football player. I'll do whatever they ask me to do to get back on the field and help this team win."
