SEATTLE — Any injury, no matter it’s severity, is sure to cause a stir when the athlete involved is Washington quarterback Jake Locker.
So it was no surprise Friday when the usual daily press conference with Huskies coach Tyrone Willingham was a bit more hectic than normal.
Willingham acknowledged what had been rumored all morning, that Locker had suffered a strain to his left hamstring, but said the severity of the injury was not yet known pending the results of an MRI taken earlier in the day.
“Yes he did sustain an injury, it was a hamstring strain,” Willingham said. “The degree we don’t know. We’ll be monitoring as we go. Our thought process is to just be cautious and move forward day to day.”
Locker, who said he has no history of hamstring problems, suffered the non-contact injury on a running play during Thursday’s practice.
“I kept a read zone, went around the outside and went to turn up and just couldn’t do what I normally do,” said Locker, who seemed in good spirits despite walking with a limp. “It’s just a little bit sore, nothing too bad. … I didn’t go down, I kind of just did a hop and skip and they came and checked me out, and we put some ice on it after that.”
It is not known yet how long Locker will be out with the injury, but Willingham said the team will err on the side of caution.
Asked if Locker would play against Oregon in the Huskies’ Aug. 30 season opener, Willingham answered: “Gosh, I don’t see why he wouldn’t, but again, it’s too early. We’re just getting our first looks at it.”
And while the results of the MRI were not available Friday, Willingham seemed confident in his quarterback’s ability to make a quick recovery.
“Honestly, I’m not that concerned about the results,” he said. “I saw the injury when it happened — and obviously everyone’s body responds a little bit different, so his body’s response will be different from another guy’s response — but the one thing I think and believe is that he’s a pretty quick healer.”
With Locker sidelined, the first-team practice reps will go to redshirt freshman Ronnie Fouch. Prior to Locker’s injury Willingham already had indicated this week a desire to get Fouch some playing time this season.
“He’ll be fine,” Fouch said of Locker. “And I get reps with the ones anyway. It won’t be any different.”
Locker, meanwhile, tried to put a positive spin on the practice time he figures to miss.
“Ronnie did a great job yesterday coming in and did a great job running the offense, so I don’t think we’ll really miss anything there,” he said. “Those guys respect him. He’s got respect in the huddle and does a good job. He’ll keep the offense on track and I’m able to take mental reps while I’m out there. I’m seeing the same things he is, I’m just not able to make the throw. If anything it’ll be good for me to be able to really watch the game and study it and I’ll still be able to learn while I’m out there.”
Locker, Fouch and freshman Luther Leonard are the Huskies’ only scholarship quarterbacks, and Willingham said it was unclear who would take over the backup job with Locker out. Other than Leonard, that job could fall to one of two walk-ons, Taylor Bean or Justin Gunn.
Husky notes
Taylor a receiver: Vince Taylor might be listed as a safety in Washington’s media guide, but the freshman from Bellevue’s Eastside Catholic High is working with the receivers during fall camp. That suits Taylor just fine.
“It’s funny looking in the book, it still says safety,” he said, referring to the media guide. “So that kind of needs to be changed.”
Asked whose idea the change was, Taylor said he and the coaches had a say in the decision.
“It was both, we kind of talked about it and he asked me where I feel comfortable, and I feel more comfortable at wide receiver,” he said. “Last year was my first time ever playing safety, so we came to the conclusion to play me at wide receiver.”
Health updates: Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Scott Shugert was back at practice Friday after sitting out the past two days with what Willingham described as a stomach illness.
Freshman cornerback Anthony Gobern wore a red jersey for the second straight day while nursing an undisclosed injury.
Say cheese: A reminder that picture day is at 1 p.m. today at Husky Stadium, giving fans a chance to meet players and coaches, get autographs and snap a few pictures.
Contact Herald Writer John Boyle at jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more on University of Washington sports, check out the Huskies blog at heraldnet.com /huskiesblog
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