Tennessee junior defensive back Inky Johnson had surgery Thursday at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., for the severe injury that ended his season.

Johnson took a hard helmet hit to his right arm and shoulder when he collided with Air Force's Justin Handley after a catch on Sept. 9.

Johnson was recovering well from the lengthy surgery, UT head trainer Jason McVeigh said in a news release and Johnson's doctors expect him to be released by early next week.

Johnson also underwent surgery at UT Medical Center the day after he was injured to repair blood vessels. Since then, he has received daily physical therapy.

Tennessee athletic officials have been very protective of Johnson's privacy since he was injured, although he addressed the Knoxville media on Oct. 19 after making his first public comments to the News Sentinel on Oct. 3. The details of Thursday's surgery were not released, but officials have said previously that he suffered nerve damage that needed to be repaired.

Back in October, McVeigh wouldn't comment on Johnson's mobility in the arm or the chances of regaining 100 percent use following the surgery.