Spring Football

Concerning the announcement of Shack's ankle surgery, a poster on another site wrote this:

Not a Physician but after practicing Physical Therapy for 35 years maybe I can shed a little light.

First: Ligamentous injuries to the ankle primarily involve those that connect the tibia (shinbone), fibula(bone on outside of leg) and the talus( the top bone of the foot that the tibia and fibula ride on),
  • The talo-fibular ligament is by far the most commonly injured. This is the lateral/outside ankle sprain all of us have had. It is rarely surgically corrected, easier to manage and predict return to play, responds well to taping/bracing etc.
  • The deltoid ligament connects the tibia to the talus (medial/inside ankle). It is much thicker than the talo-fibular thus taking much more force to tear and less likely to be injured. Injuries here can be more severe and commonly involve associated fractures because of significant forces required to injure it. Like the talofibular and because of biomechanics it is often treated well with rehab, taping and bracing.
High Ankle Sprain: This involves the syndesmosis (the ligaments connecting the tibia to the fibula) these ligaments run from the knee to the ankle, however, the primary affected ligaments are in the lower leg. This injury is a challenge to Physicians, therapists, trainers etc. as it is much more difficult to quantify severity, prognosis for return to play and recurrences. It is much more difficult to stabilize externally through taping/bracing.

The surgical repair/stabilization of this I have seen involves a plate on the tibia with screw fixation into the tibia. This effectively immobilizes or fixes the distance between the two bones. According to Tom Hermans description of the doctors using wires, I am thinking they are doing a procedure called the "tightrope." In this procedure there is a plate screwed into the distal fibula and fixation provided by braided polyethylene cord which is secured to the tibia. I looked at a few studies which showed this to have a better outcome on all measures of function as compared to screw fixation. The braid allows compressive movement between tibia-fib but prevents seperation as the normal syndesmosis would do. This is a more correct bio mechanical repair.

As far as prognosis for return to play without lingering effects? You would be foolish not to wonder about the forces required to perform elite level athletic activities at 320#, however, the repair only adds to the stability he had prior to surgery. He was performing at a very high level even with an unstable ankle, although with great risk for re-injury. His physician knows best about his prognosis and if he has given Tom Herman reason for optimism, then Im hopeful that Shack will be full speed by opening day and that the surgical stabilization, and good rehab will minimize the risk for re-injury.
 
Congratulations to @PjLocke4 for his tremendous effort and attitude in the classroom in March. #ThisIsTexas
– Coach Tom Herman Apr 6

PJ%20Locke-StudentMonth.jpg
 
TFB Spring Practice Notes (4-4-17)

RB’s Toniel Carter and Tristan Houston (ankle) returned to practice on Tuesday but we[re] in green non-contact jerseys so they aren’t 100% back yet. And with Chris Warren (hamstring) and Kirk Johnson (foot) also out right now, Sophomore Kyle Porter is the only healthy scholarship RB. And Herman said after practice yesterday that Porter is “seizing the opportunity.”

Devin Duvenay: Everyone loves the NFL upside of WR Collin Johnson, but if there is one Texas WR to buy stock in I’d tell you it’s sophomore Devin Duvernay. We saw the big play potential he has at times last year, and it doesn’t seem like he took a very long time to make a huge impression on the new staff. Senior Armanti Foreman was the starter in the slot, for about a week before Duvernay took over.

I was also told not to be surprised to see him get some carries out of the backfield at times as well.
 
Two Takes on Beck's Take on Buechele​

247's Take:
Buechele is not yet an upperclassman, but holds the experience and poise that has put him as the leader for the quarterback battle with freshman Sam Ehlinger.

It’s a role that has propelled him front and center to be a leader for Texas.

“He’s growing in that area, certainly,” said offensive coordinator Tim Beck after Thursday’s practice. “Obviously last year, as a true freshman, some seniors, older players they kind of took that charge, and Shane that wasn’t in that role, I don’t think it was expected of him.

“[But] I expect that of him. Coach Herman expects that of him and I think he’s learning, he’s growing into that.”

Through 10 spring practices, Buechele given himself a slight edge over Ehlinger, both Herman and Beck have said. But it hasn’t been easy so far. The new coaching staff is throwing a whole new system at the sophomore while making him compete against a defense that has several different looks.

“Sometimes it’s very hard to lead when you’re overwhelmed,” Beck said. “There’s days when the information I’ve given him is like shoving a hose down his throat, so its hard to lead when you can’t speak. But he’s doing really good. I think he can do that for us.”

...It’s his personality that does it. Buechele’s teammates gravitate towards him. They see he’s a competitor and want to learn more.

“That’s one of the things I’ve learned, he doesn’t always show emotion on his face, he’s hard on himself and he’s a professional,” Beck said. “He wants to be really good; the best he can be. He just doesn’t wear it on his sleeve, jump up and down, those types of things.

“I’m trying to let him know it’s ok to play with passion and emotion and allow that to show.

IT's Take:
Beck has basic expectations of his quarterbacks, sophomore Shane Buechele and freshman Sam Ehlinger, and he said it has been difficult for them to excel so far because of how much information he’s thrown at them.

“I like both of them,” Beck said. “They’re working really hard. They’re competing. They’re locked in, dialed in. At times, it can be overwhelming seeing a lot of different things for those guys, but that’s okay. That’s part of what spring ball is. It’s throw everything at them as much as you can as you install, see what they can handle and can’t handle. The harder we make it for them right now, the easier it’s going to be for them in the game, and that’s part of the process.”

Even though things have been running at a hectic pace, Beck said Buechele had a slight leg up on the true freshman because he has college experience.

“I think he sees thing faster,” Beck said. “I think, defensively, there’s a lot of movement, a lot of things that are happening, so he’s able to adapt quicker. He’s able to see it. He understands and knows where the hole might be, and where he needs to go with the ball faster than Sam does.”

Buechele played last year as a true freshman but was rarely called on to be a vocal leader, as other juniors and seniors took that responsibility. This allowed Buechele to focus on learning the offense in preparation for his starting role.

Now, Beck expects Buechele to be more a vocal guy in the locker room, even though he’s a “cool customer.”

“I think he’s learning, he’s growing into that.”
 
More attention to special teams

We don’t know for sure if the special teams have really improved (though it would be hard not too after last season), however, one good sign is how much time Herman and his staff are spending with the group.

The Longhorns have spent a significant amount of time working on punting, kick returns, kickoffs, pretty much everything through the first nine practices this spring. That’s a sign of Herman’s commitment to detail, making sure everything is covered and covered right. Add on top of that the addition of kicker Josh Rowland, who was the first commitment at Texas under Herman, and the Longhorns have put an emphasis on creating a big improvement on special teams.

Texas, of course, is coming off a season that saw five kicks blocked and no deep returns on either kickoffs or punts. The last time Texas returned a kickoff for a touchdown was on a D.J. Monroe run in September 2012. A punt return for a touchdown came slightly more recent in September 2015.
[More @ 247]
 
Shane Buechele 2016 highlights

Looking forward to seeing Shane in the spring game next Saturday. He was a pretty damn good true freshman for us last year.

 
Godz40acres said:
Concerning the announcement of Shack's ankle surgery, a poster on another site wrote this:

Not a Physician but after practicing Physical Therapy for 35 years maybe I can shed a little light.

First: Ligamentous injuries to the ankle primarily involve those that connect the tibia (shinbone), fibula(bone on outside of leg) and the talus( the top bone of the foot that the tibia and fibula ride on),
  • The talo-fibular ligament is by far the most commonly injured. This is the lateral/outside ankle sprain all of us have had. It is rarely surgically corrected, easier to manage and predict return to play, responds well to taping/bracing etc.
  • The deltoid ligament connects the tibia to the talus (medial/inside ankle). It is much thicker than the talo-fibular thus taking much more force to tear and less likely to be injured. Injuries here can be more severe and commonly involve associated fractures because of significant forces required to injure it. Like the talofibular and because of biomechanics it is often treated well with rehab, taping and bracing.
High Ankle Sprain: This involves the syndesmosis (the ligaments connecting the tibia to the fibula) these ligaments run from the knee to the ankle, however, the primary affected ligaments are in the lower leg. This injury is a challenge to Physicians, therapists, trainers etc. as it is much more difficult to quantify severity, prognosis for return to play and recurrences. It is much more difficult to stabilize externally through taping/bracing.

The surgical repair/stabilization of this I have seen involves a plate on the tibia with screw fixation into the tibia. This effectively immobilizes or fixes the distance between the two bones. According to Tom Hermans description of the doctors using wires, I am thinking they are doing a procedure called the "tightrope." In this procedure there is a plate screwed into the distal fibula and fixation provided by braided polyethylene cord which is secured to the tibia. I looked at a few studies which showed this to have a better outcome on all measures of function as compared to screw fixation. The braid allows compressive movement between tibia-fib but prevents seperation as the normal syndesmosis would do. This is a more correct bio mechanical repair.

As far as prognosis for return to play without lingering effects? You would be foolish not to wonder about the forces required to perform elite level athletic activities at 320#, however, the repair only adds to the stability he had prior to surgery. He was performing at a very high level even with an unstable ankle, although with great risk for re-injury. His physician knows best about his prognosis and if he has given Tom Herman reason for optimism, then Im hopeful that Shack will be full speed by opening day and that the surgical stabilization, and good rehab will minimize the risk for re-injury.
Click to expand...
Great information. Thank you for enlightening us. This sheds some light on why the "high ankle sprain" can linger so long.
 
TFB Saturday Scrimmage Notes (4-8-17)

Buechele continues to play like the guy with more experience and is more consistent. The offense changes some when Ehlinger is in, as a lot more QB roll-outs as that fits his skillset. Both had solid days but nothing showstopping, as they were under a lot of pressure from Todd Orlando’s defense.

[Another source says that] Buechele seems more hesitant in the pocket because of the pressure. According to a source he, “looks at the pass rush a little too much instead of down the field.” The overall sense from my source is that he looks like the same quarterback he was last year.

Sources take on Ehlinger, “Has a strong arm and wasn’t afraid of the rush. Scrambles really well. He’d take off after a four seconds of nothing being there. Makes some really great throws and stands tall in the pocket. Still has a ways to go but his demeanor and the way he leads; he’s a winner.”

RB Kyle Porter... had a really nice day.

The defense dominated early, which has been how much of the scrimmages have gone this Spring as the offense has been without Warren and Zach Shackelford and Brandon Hodges. But once Buechele/Ehlinger got some rhythm going, the offense moved the ball.

Tristen Nickelson is still currently taking more reps with the starters at RT than Denzel Okafor.

There were a lot of TX HS coaches in attendance, and I talked with a good amount of them. The main guys that were consistantly mentioned on offense were Collin Johnson, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, and Kyle Porter. On defense it was Jeffrey McCulloch and Poona Ford.

On Naashon Hughes my source said, “Hughes is a freak. His mind has caught up to his athletic ability and size. He knows where to line up, knows where to drop in coverage and has the ability to tell the coach what he saw and why he did something…looks like a high draft pick coming off the edge.”
 
A former UT lineman under Mackoprick (that's what he calls Mackovich) attended a practice last week and had this to say....

That Conner kid is a 1st round tackle. Period. He's the best tackle I have seen since Blake Brockermeyer. His kick step is unreal, he gets his butt down in his rocker, his punch will stone you cold in your tracks, he's got feet the size of canoes but moves like a ballet dancer. He has all the tools. After this season he will be NFL starter ready.

Honestly, it's hard to take your eyes off of 55. He's so good he makes the rest of our line look like scrubs. It's like driving up A1A in South Florida and looking across the way at the Kennedy space center and seeing that building where they used to house the moon rockets and space shuttle. You can tell it's a big building from afar, but you don't have anyway of understanding how MASSIVE it is until you get up on it because there's nothing nearby it for you to judge its actual size.... that's Connor Williams. He's SO much better than the rest of the OL that you have no perspective on everybody else. It's like Santa Claus vs the elves.
 
Wellper, we're down to two, dos, 2 scholly running backs for the Spring Game (Tristian Houston and EE Toneil Carter) as Kyle Porter has a sprained ankle. I'll be anxious to see Carter in action as we've heard very little about him in the practice reports, but a lot about his potential coming into the spring.

Other ouches include TE Andrew Beck - re-injured foot (will see a specialist this week) and DB Davante Davis - separated shoulder. Both will miss Saturday's game.
 
Godz40acres said:
Wellper, we're down to two, dos, 2 scholly running backs for the Spring Game (Tristian Houston and EE Toneil Carter) as Kyle Porter has a sprained ankle. I'll be anxious to see Carter in action as we've heard very little about him in the practice reports, but a lot about his potential coming into the spring.

Other ouches include TE Andrew Beck - re-injured foot (will see a specialist this week) and DB Davante Davis - separated shoulder. Both will miss Saturday's game.
Click to expand...
Well that sucks. Was looking forward to seeing the running game Saturday, but it looks like it will be a shell of the running game.
 
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