Michigan State University Athletics
Spartan Football Injury Update
8/21/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 21, 2001
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State senior tight end Chris Baker will be sidelined for two-to-four weeks with a torn meniscus in his left knee and senior linebacker Ivory McCoy will be out of the lineup for four-to-six weeks after fracturing the fifth metatarsal in his right foot, Spartan head coach Bobby Williams announced Tuesday (Aug. 21). In addition, freshman linebacker Seth Mitchell will miss four weeks of action with a sprained right knee.
"This is a very frustrating situation," Coach Williams said. "We lost two starters and a promising freshman during non-contact drills. That's unbelievable.
"I've been pleased with the overall attitude of the team following the rash of injuries. The guys listed behind Chris Baker and Ivory McCoy have stepped into the lineup and have given it their all. Injuries are a part of the game, but I've really been impressed with the way the guys have responded."
The 6-foot-3, 263-pound Baker suffered his injury during a non-contact drill Monday (Aug. 20) afternoon. He is scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove the torn cartilage Wednesday (Aug. 22). Baker, who has started 35 consecutive games at tight end, ranked third on the team in receptions with 33 for 461 yards and two touchdowns in 2000. He has 93 career receptions for 1,157 yards and nine TDs and needs only 15 more grabs to become MSU's all-time pass-catching tight end (Mark Brammer caught 107 passes).
"I'll learn how to deal with the adversity," Baker said. "I'll be back in a few weeks and until I'm back in the lineup, I'll do all I can to help the other tight ends get ready to play."
The 6-5, 232-pound McCoy fractured the bone in his foot during a non-contact drill Tuesday (Aug. 21) morning. The former tight end made the move to SAM linebacker last spring. In his first three seasons, McCoy started 14 games at tight end and caught 34 passes for 403 yards and four TDs.
"I'll do whatever I can to help the young guys learn the position," McCoy said. "I'll be a tutor for those guys and help them gain knowledge about our defensive schemes. I'll be back in the lineup by the Big Ten opener, but until then, I know what I have to do to help us win football games."
The 6-2, 239-pound Mitchell sprained his MCL last Saturday (Aug. 18) when an offensive lineman lost his footing during a drill and rolled into the rookie's right leg.
Sophomore tight end Luc Mullinder (6-4, 253), who saw action in five games as a true freshman in 2000 and caught two passes for 20 yards, has been promoted to the first unit. Coach Williams also expects true freshman Ryan Woods (6-4, 245) to push for playing time.
"Ryan Woods has really started to emerge at the tight end position," Williams said. "He's quickly catching on to the offense, and he consistently makes plays in practice. I've been impressed with his pass-catching and blocking ability."
Sophomore Mike Labinjo (6-1, 268), who moved from fullback to defensive end last spring, will get first look at SAM linebacker. Other candidates for the position include red-shirt freshman James Cooper (6-3, 220) and true freshman Michael Bazemore (6-3, 226).
"We've already lost two players at the SAM linebacker position (McCoy and Mitchell) so were going to take a look at several guys there," Williams said.
The Spartans will conduct their first preseason scrimmage on Wednesday (Aug. 22).
"With the injury situation, this scrimmage takes on a little more significance," Williams said. "We'll hold some of our key guys out of the scrimmage or at least limit the number of snaps they get. We need to get a good look at some of these younger guys who haven't played a lot of college football. We'll put these guys in game-like situations and see how they react without coaches in the huddle or on the field."
Michigan State opens the 2001 season Saturday, Sept. 8 against Central Michigan at 1 p.m. in Spartan Stadium.
