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Looks like he may seek a medical hardship waiver. I wish him luck on getting things straightened out.


TCU star Blake takes medical leave
Defensive end could end up applying for sixth year
Posted: Wednesday September 26, 2007 5:25PM; Updated: Wednesday September 26, 2007 5:29PM


By Tony Pauline, Special to SI.com

TCU star defensive end Tommy Blake has taken a medical leave of absence from the team and will miss at least two weeks, Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson announced on Tuesday.

Patterson said Blake's problems have been a personal nature. "We've tried for three weeks to try and be able to push through," Patterson said. "It hasn't been a positive, I don't think, especially for him."




Blake, a preseason All-America and potential first-round pick in next April's NFL Draft, missed the season opener against Baylor then played in TCU's next three games, including last Saturday's 21-7 win over SMU. He has 11 tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack this season.

This is not the first time this year Blake has been excused from the team for personal reasons. He left the campus in August while the Horned Frogs were preparing for the season and missed a number of practices.

NFL scouts who have attended TCU practices have reported that Blake has exhibited bizarre behavior during practice and off the field. The belief is Blake will be evaluated then a decision will be made if he can continue playing football this season.

Blake seriously considered entering last April's draft, going as far to petition the NFL Advisory Committee to gauge his draft ranking. He received a second-round grade but decided against going pro at the recommendation of his grandmother, who wanted to see him graduate with a degree.

Rated as one of the top 15 senior prospects in the nation by a number of NFL scouting services coming into the season, Blake led the Mountain West Conference with 16½ tackles for loss in 2006, while his seven sacks tied for the conference lead.

Scouts think highly of Blake's abilities, but if he doesn't improve Patterson said TCU will apply for a medical hardship waiver or redshirt him. "He hasn't played too much to redshirt," Patterson said. "It's just really hard to get a sixth year, at least at TCU."

that sucks

Stallion wrote: "He hasn't played too much to redshirt," Patterson said. "

Stallion, would you mind giving GaPat a call and set him straight on the redshirt policy?

RGV Pony wrote:Stallion, would you mind giving GaPat a call and set him straight on the redshirt policy?

I'm sure that Patterson agrees with Stallion that a medical redshirt is still a possibility.

-CoS

RGV Pony wrote:

Stallion wrote: "He hasn't played too much to redshirt," Patterson said. "

Stallion, would you mind giving GaPat a call and set him straight on the redshirt policy?

it doesnt sound like he has played too much

I hope that he gets better. He is a terrific player.

This from the TCU school paper story on Blake:

A player qualifies for a medical hardship waiver if the player only plays in two games or 20 percent of a season, the injury is before the sixth game of the season or the injury is incapacitating and supported by medical documentation, according to the NCAA's medical hardships regulations.

Patterson said he is not sure whether the team will apply for a medical waiver, but a waiver request for Blake would most likely be rejected and TCU would appeal.

The 'bizarre behavior' comments leads me to wonder if the ailment is mental health. He's 22-23...a little late for schizophrenia...usually onset is two or three years earlier. I hope for his sake and his family's sake, he gets through whatever the ailment is alright.

Good luck, Blake. Tough spot to be in.

i think he will most likely get it... its always based on the circumstances... this one is very unusual

'Bizarre behavior' could also be bipolar disorder. In any event, I hope he can work through this and receive the appropriate treatment for whatever it is.

He would need to have two seasons were he had an injury that was incapacitating to receive at sixth year of eligibility. (i.e. Rico Harris and D.D. Lee) Blake redshirted his freshman year without an injury according to his bio.

Prediction - Blake has played his last game as a froggie.

In talking to some frog people I know, they did say that Blake is bi-polar and that the reason he missed camp in the summer was that he got off of his meds.

This is speculation, but it would be a pausable explanation. Hope he can get himself straightened out.

At least SI isn't pulling a 'Jenni Carlson' writing about Blake based upon inuendo, speculation and rumors.

The question of course is whether he's going to want to play another year of college football or try and get a paycheck from the NFL. He's good enough that if he clears his head, an NFL team would take him and he could stand to make some decent coin. Would the Arizona Cardinals or Oakland Raiders burn a lower round pick on a player like him, absolutely.