Tigers hope to be injury free in ‘07

By Bob Wilson  |   Thursday, March 01, 2007  |  Comments( 3 )

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Can the Clemson Tigers' football team catch a break in 2007? 2006 was filled with broken bones and other injuries that eventually proved too much to overcome.

Most recently, starting safety Michael Hamlin and wide receiver Rendrick Taylor both underwent foot surgeries. Taylor missed half of the year after breaking his arm but also required foot surgery. Both he and Hamlin will likely miss part of spring practice.

Hamlin and starting wide receiver Chansi Stuckey both missed games because of broken bones in their feet last year. Linebacker Tramaine Billie's season ended before it started with a broken ankle. In a twist, Anthony Waters, an All-American candidate and the returning leading tackler in the ACC, was lost for 2006 when he tore knee ligaments. Starting offensive guard Roman Fry was also lost for the year during the Georgia Tech contest.

Every team has to fight the injury bug, but Clemson was really hit hard last year. Who knows what could have been? The Tigers fought through adversity early in the year in racing to a 7-1 start, but they eventually slumped to 8-5.

Perhaps if Tommy Bowden's squad could have stayed healthy, it might not have collapsed. Of course, poor quarterback play was also a big part of the late-season decline, so it wasn't all injuries.

The '06 team had a veteran offensive line and talent at almost every position. In 2007, the Tigers will be breaking in a new quarterback and a new O-line. If Clemson has as many injuries next season as last, it could bring disastrous results.

Odds are, the Tigers won't get hit with a rash of injuries two seasons in a row. Clemson fans had better hope that's the case, anyway. Otherwise, 2007 could be a long, frustrating year.
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CommentsComments: 3  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Jim Lovell		12:45 PM
03/01/2007
Injuries had nothing to do with stupid coaching (TB) decisions in the last two games.(SC& Kentucky). That, and sarcastic comments...
No.2
Marc H.		08:23 PM
03/01/2007
While I do think injuries play a role in any team's success/failure, it was a much smaller role than people believe at Clemson....
No.3
Jon		03:28 AM
03/02/2007
We lost alot of great players last year, with Billie and Waters being the two that hurt most. I do think the outcome of the...
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