SEATTLE — The injury talk started out minor Friday, but took a more serious turn late in the afternoon.
Prior to Washington’s end-of-week scrimmage, tailbacks Brandon Johnson and Brandon Yakaboski, as well as Tyrone Willingham, spoke about the minor injuries that left the Huskies thin in the backfield Friday.
Then, less than an hour into Friday’s practice, which was not open to the media, center Juan Garcia had to be carted off the field with an unspecified leg injury.
According to a school spokesman, Garcia injured his left leg early in practice when he ended up at the bottom of the pile during a goal-line play. Practiced was stopped for about 10 minutes while trainers tended to Garcia. An air cast was placed on his leg before he was put on a golf cart and taken to the training room.
No update on his condition was immediately available.
Garcia was named Friday to the preseason Outland Trophy watch list, which is given to the country’s top interior lineman. He was a second-team All-Pac-10 selection last year, and was granted a sixth year of eligibility for the 2008 season because of injuries suffered earlier in his career.
Four years ago, Garcia broke his fibula and dislocated his ankle in his left leg and missed the 2004 season. He missed the 2005 season with a torn labrum, but has started all 25 of Washington’s games the past two seasons and was a team captain last season.
If Garcia has to miss any time, he will be replaced by Matt Sedillo, a redshirt junior who played sparingly in two games last season.
As for those tailback injuries, both Johnson and Yakaboski anticipated being back for Monday’s practice. Johnson, who injured his knee on Tuesday, was not in pads for Friday’s scrimmage.
“It’s just hyperextended, I’ll be back on Monday,” Johnson said. “Most of the swelling is out, so I’m able to walk around and move it a lot more. Hopefully I’ll be running Monday.”
Asked if there was any concern with long-term problems, Johnson said, “Oh, no, not at all.”
Yakaboski, who suffered a neck strain Thursday, suited up for practice but was wearing a red jersey indicating no contact.
“It’s real frustrating right now,” Yakaboski said of missing out on a chance to shine in Johnson’s absence. “I was looking today to get a lot of reps. It’s just real frustrating the timing of this. Bad luck on my part.”
That left the Huskies with just two tailbacks, Willie Griffin and J.R. Hasty, available Friday.
Griffin and Yakaboski, who are competing with Johnson — right now the likely No. 1 tailback in the fall — to earn playing time. Both redshirted last season.
“Once somebody goes down, it allows more reps for the others behind him, but even with that, you’ve still got to go out there and perform and show that you can carry the rock,” Griffin said.
With a limited number of tailbacks available for Friday’s scrimmage, Willingham indicated that the fullbacks may get a few extra carries.
“That’s why we have such a wonderful group of fullbacks,” he said. “They have been itching for their opportunity to get their hands on the football, and they may get it today.”
Contact Herald Writer John Boyle at jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more on UW athletics, check out the Huskies blog at heraldnet.com /huskiesblog.
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