GAINESVILLE,
Fla. -- Gators senior defensive tackle Dominique Easley will
miss the rest of the season because of a torn ACL in his right knee.
Easley
suffered the injury late Tuesday night near the end of Florida’s practice in a non-contact
situation. The Gators’ practice was pushed back to 7-9 p.m. due to inclement
weather.
Gators
head coach Will Muschamp was hopeful Easley’s injury was not as serious as
tests revealed.
“As I
said earlier today on the SEC Conference Call, Dominique injured his right knee
in practice in a non-contact situation,’’ Muschamp said following Wednesday’s
practice. “Test results have revealed that he suffered a tear of both his ACL
and medial meniscus, which will require season-ending surgery.
“I
talked to Dominique and the team this afternoon and we will continue to look
for his leadership and experience throughout the season. Watching any of your
players go through this is one of the hardest things about being a coach.
“Obviously,
it is hardest on Dominique. We are disappointed for him, but we will be there
for him every step of the way through his surgery and rehab process.”
This
is the second time Easley has suffered a torn ACL. In the final regular-season
game of his sophomore season in 2011, Easley suffered a torn ACL in his left
knee and missed Florida’s win over Ohio State in the Gator Bowl.
He
returned to play 11 games last season and finished the season with 26 tackles,
8.5 tackles-for-loss and four sacks. Easley recently said he felt back to full speed
after getting re-acclimated to the game a year ago.
“My
confidence was really messing me up,’’ he said. “I feel like my old self now.”
Easley
was backing it up with his play on the field. While his stats (5 tackles, 2
TFL) were not overwhelming, Easley’s presence was hard to miss in Florida’s
first three games.
“Dominique
is a guy that has a great motor, great enthusiasm as you can see on the
field,’’ Florida defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin said Wednesday. “I think
that’s a contagious thing. He plays the game the way we want guys to play on
defense.
“With
all that being said, he’s a part of the whole team, guys I think are playing
well and doing things. We plan for [injuries] everywhere and that’s why we play
a lot of guys.”
The
6-foot-2, 285-pound Easley has drawn rave reviews for his early season play and
recently projected to be a high pick in next April’s NFL Draft.
In 32
career games, Easley has 72 tackles, 18 tackles-for-loss, 5.5 sacks, one fumble
recovery and a blocked kick.
"I
want to leave my mark here,'' Easley said after Florida’s season-opening win
over Toledo. “I want to be considered a Gator Great.”
In
other injury news, Gators quarterback Jeff Driskel underwent successful surgery
on his fractured right fibula Wednesday afternoon. Driskel was injured in the
first quarter of Saturday’s 31-17 win over Tennessee.
Driskel
had a plate and screws inserted in his fractured fibula, and doctors also repaired
his medial ligaments and put two screws across his ankle joint.
