SEATTLE-The cast on Anthony Russo’s right hand hinted at bad news before the University of Washington receiver had a chance to tell the story himself.
When he addressed reporters Wednesday afternoon, Russo confirmed that he had broken the pinky finger on his right hand, an injury that will require surgery Friday.
“They said most likely four weeks, but I’ll get the stitches off in two,” said Russo.
The injury occurred at practice Tuesday when Russo went low to catch a pass and caught his finger on the ground.
“There’s a pretty big fracture at the bottom,” said Russo, who isn’t ruling out the possibility of playing in the August 31 season opener at Syracuse. “Small chance. I could be back. I plan on being back, but we’ll see.”
While no injury is a good injury, this one at least comes at a position where the Huskies have some depth and experience.
“The good news is, we do have a senior group there,” said Washington coach Tyrone Willingham. “I think we’ve got about five senior receivers in that group, so if you lose one, that’s a good place to lose one.”
Russo, a fifth-year senior from Lakes High School in Lakewood, had 32 catches for 552 yards last season.
Senior Corey Williams is the player likely to fill in during Russo’s absence.
“Corey will step in and do a great job like he always does,” said Russo. “We’ve definitely got depth enough to fill that spot.”
Injury report: Cornerback Byron Davenport said the hamstring injury he suffered Tuesday was not very serious, but that he was unsure how long he would be out of practice.
“It’s not that serious,” said Davenport, who didn’t practice Wednesday. “We’re just being really cautious right now.”
He said the hamstring injury was a new experience for him.
“It’s the first time it’s happened to me, so I started freaking out,” said Davenport, who added that the leg was “a little tender” on Wednesday.
Coincidentally, Davenport’s injury occurred while he was covering Russo, who suffered the team’s other injury later that day.
Linebacker Donald Butler, who sat out Tuesday’s practice to rest a knee that was surgically repaired earlier in the year, was back at practice today.
When asked about the team’s kicking situation, Willingham said that Erik Folk hasn’t seen much action, explaining that the freshman had a “back issue” that the team was monitoring. Folk is expected to compete for the starting kicking job.
Watch the pros: The Huskies shared their field Wednesday, as the Seahawks held an open-to-the-public workout at Husky Stadium in the morning. Washington’s players and coaches were on hand to watch.
“I think if you want to be the best, why not watch the best,” Willingham said when asked what his players could take from the experience.
Among the players on the field was safety C.J. Wallace, an All Pac-10 performer as a senior at Washington last year who is trying to make the team.
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