Willingham quotes on Locker

Published 3:34 pm Monday, September 29, 2008

Here’s what Tyrone Willingham had to say about Jake Locker’s injury and the possibilty of using the quarterback somewhere else on the field. Locker broke the first metacarpal on his right (throwing) hand. That’s the longest thumb bone, the one that starts down by the wrist.

“He did have a fracture coming out of the ballgame, of the first metacarpal of the thumb and it required surgery. The surgery should have started at some point this morning, I think right around 11 o’clock give or take a few minutes. And what it appears to be is it could be as many as six to eight weeks is typically the recovery time for that injury. Outside of that we don’t know anymore at this time.”

On the impact of losing Locker:

“Obviously I think it’s a huge loss because he adds so much to our team in so many ways. His presence, his running skills, what he’s done for us in the passing game. So I think it is a loss. But I also am very confident in Ronnie Fouch, and I think we’ve been saying that since last spring that we like a lot of things about Ronnie Fouch and it’s just a matter of time to try to get him some plays so that he can show what he can do. And I think he stepped in and he was very coop, he was very composed and he has the respect of his teammates. Those are strong qualities to bring into the game.”

Might Locker play another position?

“It is possible. I couldn’t tell you where right now, but I think I said and others have said that he is a tremendous athlete with the ability to play five, six, seven positions exists.”

Willingham said that 6-8 weeks in the timetable for returning to play quarterback, “What the other timetables are, I don’t know and wouldn’t even guess those?”

Would you be worried exposing Locker to injury playing somewhere else?

“You always run that risk. The play that he got hurt on was an extra-effort play that really didn’t contact anybody other than the ground. So that risk is always there. But this is a young man – every much like a lot of young men that we have on our football team – wants to win. And he’ll be willing to do anything that will help the football team and win.”

Where else might he play?

“That would be a little stretch for me right now because you really don’t know how he’ll come back and what that means. Does that mean he has a cast on the size of a helmet or something of that nature. How will be he outfitted. All of those things. I wouldn’t speculate.”