Knowing what u now know about Shipley, should he play?
- Poll ends on 09/03/2014
- Absolutely:2 votes
- Glad he's healthy but would hold him out:19 votes
- No chance in hell:2 votes
Jaxon Shipley's recovery from a partially torn hamstring in just three weeks was not just a pleasant surprise, it was part of some new-age treatment known as Platelet Rich Plasma. (More on that in a second.)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]Shipley had suffered a pulled hamstring during summer workouts that laid him up for about three weeks. Shipley thought he was recovered from the pull when he returned to action on the first day of fall camp (Aug. 4).[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]But after the team had to serve a bunch of punishments (sprints, up-downs, etc) dating to the summer before the first practice of fall camp even started, Shipley ended up partially tearing the hamstring during that first practice. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]The recovery time figured to be 3-6 weeks with his return probably closer to 6 weeks after needing 3 weeks simply to recover from the pull he suffered during the summer.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]But the Texas medical staff is turning to some new technology known as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) frequently used by professional athletes trying to recover from injuries involving ligaments or tendons.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]PRP is "platelet-rich plasma," also known as autologous blood concentrate (APC). Platelets are a specialized type of blood cell that are involved in injury healing.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]Human platelets are naturally, extremely rich in connective tissue growth factors. Injecting these growth factors into damaged ligaments and tendons stimulates a natural repair process.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]How does PRP work? Blood is drawn from the patient and placed in a special centrifuge, where the blood is spun down. The platelets are separated from the red blood cells and are concentrated. The red blood cells are discarded, and the resulting platelet concentrate is injected into back into the area of the injured ligament or tendon (in Shipley's case, his hamstring).[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]So far, so good. Shawn Watson said Tuesday Shipley had been practicing since last Saturday, looked great and was good to go for Saturday's opener against North Texas. (Chip Brown)[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=medium]TEAM'S BIGGEST CONCERNS ARE PUT TO THE TEST RIGHT AWAY[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]I asked several people this week in and around the Texas football program what the biggest concerns were coming out of fall camp and I got the following answers:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]1) Lack of depth (Was the most universal)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]2) The offensive line (Which has been affected by lack of depth)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]3) Whether or not the team has its legs after an unrelenting fall camp - after which players were not allowed to go home and were required to stay on campus.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]Let's address the first two concerns:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]The team's lack of depth is well-documented, and matters may have gotten worse at what may be the team's biggest problem position: the offensive line.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]Will Wilkerson of HD broke the news Tuesday that Perkins had missed two practices in a row and that the reason could be his previously injured patella tendon, which required surgery in the spring.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]We have not gotten word yet about the severity of the injury. It could be minor. We just don't know yet. Rami Hammad has transferred to Baylor, where the NCAA has already told Hammad he'll have 3 years of eligibility after sitting out this season (and losing a year of eligibility for transferring within the B12).[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]The decision to move Marcus Hutchins from DL to OL may end up being critical. It appears the starting OL lineup on Saturday could be LT Kennedy Estelle, LG Sed Flowers, C Dom Espinosa, RG Taylor Doyle and Hutchins at RT. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]Jake Raulerson and Darius James would also be candidates at RT.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]One source said the entire season rests on the success of the O-line to open holes in the running game.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]"David Ash's best friend and best protection against further injury is a strong running game," the source said. "If Texas can't run behind that line, it's going to be a long season.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]"Charlie wants the offense to grind out clock-eating drives by pounding the rock. That's a big part of the plan to keep UCLA's and Baylor's offenses off the field. It all falls apart if they can't run behind that line."[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]Now, let's address the third concern - whether the team has its legs:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]There are those who are concerned about how hard Strong and Pat Moorer have been pushing the team.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]"I think the guys could have used the weekend to go home, get away from everything and then come back for game week recharged," one source said. "But the team practiced on the weekend."[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]Shawn Watson said even though the team has been out in the heat almost every day of camp (the team had two-a-day practices as recently as Thursday) the practices have been scaled back from 24 periods to 10 periods.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]"Charlie is really cognizant of giving them their legs back, and that's what this week is all about," Watson said. "We're smart about our training."[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]When players were asked if they were suffering from dead legs, they downplayed fatigue.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]"He (Strong) beat us up, then brought us back," DE Ced Reed said.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]"It's all mental," said LB Jordan Hicks. (Chip Brown)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=small]******[/SIZE]
