Easley injures knee, tests forthcoming

Florida Coach Will Muschamp said on the Southeastern Conference Coaches Teleconference Wednesday morning that senior defensive tackle Dominique Easley “tweaked” his knee at practice yesterday. Rumors were running rampant that Easley had torn his ACL, but Muschamp would only say that Easley was planting to cover a screen pass when he tweaked the knee. Muschamp said that Easley is currently undergoing tests to determine the severity of the injury.

Easley, however, tweeted “Gatornation, thank you for all 4 yrs of sticking with me but God has something else planned and have no worries.” That would seem to indicate that tests have come back and the injury is more than a “tweak.”

It was confirmed that Easley was undergoing an MRI at midday. Further information about the extent of the injury probably won’t happen until Thursday or Friday at the earliest.

Easley returned to Florida for his senior year, foregoing the NFL Draft last year where many experts projected him a third round pick. Moved from defensive end to nose tackle, Easley has been a disruptive force through the first three games and his draft stock has risen steadily.

Although he’s only been in on five tackles (two for loss), Easley has been a constant thorn in the side for opponents, who are managing only 212.3 yards per game in offense against a Florida defense that is #2 statistically in the nation. Easley’s ability to constantly command double and triple teams has made plays possible for teammates and forced opponents to scheme their entire game plan to find ways to negate his presence.

Easley is a fourth-year senior from Staten Island, New York, listed at 6-2, 285 on the Florida roster.

 

 

 

Franz Beard
Back in January of 1969, the late, great Jack Hairston, then the sports editor of the Jacksonville Journal, called me on the phone one night and asked me if I wanted to work for him. I said yes. The entire interview took 30 seconds. It's my experience that whenever the interview lasts 30 seconds or less, I get the job. In the 48 years that I've been writing and getting paid for it, I've covered Super Bowls, World Series, NCAA basketball championships, BCS championship games, heavyweight title fights and what seems like thousands of college football, baseball and basketball games. I'm a columnist and special assignments editor for Gator Country once again, writing about the only team that ever mattered to me, the Florida Gators.