Couldn't help noticing that Sunday was the start of the 2006 NFL season.

I wonder if Justin Harrell spent Sunday wondering if he should have been there.

He probably wouldn't have been in anyone's starting lineup. But he almost certainly would have been on someone's roster and at the end of the month he'd be cashing someone's paycheck.

Last winter, Harrell requested an evaluation of his NFL draft status. A likely second-round pick he was told.

He decided to put that dream on hold for another year. Instead, he'd play his senior season at Tennessee.

Flip the calendar forward. A viable Sunday plan for the 300-pound defensive tackle with all the right tools was to watch videotape of Florida's offensive line.

No need for that now.

Harrell's senior season lasted less than two games.

He's done. The biceps tendon in his left arm ruptured Saturday night against Air Force. Surgery is required.

A full recovery is expected but not in time to squeeze into an orange jersey again.

Harrell's father, Edgar, said Sunday night that his son was fine and the family wasn't dwelling on how the injury might affect an NFL future.

"Quite honestly, we haven't even thought about that,'' Edgar Harrell said.

"We'll just take it one day at a time. As far as the NFL and combines, Justin still has a lot of work to do. We just try to control the things we can control.''

Injuries are largely beyond anyone's control. Thus, college players who have a chance to leave early for the NFL and do not are rolling the dice.

Furthermore, injuries don't just happen in the big games against Florida and Alabama.

Ask Chuck Webb. He blew out his knee against Pacific in 1990.

Arguably the most talented running back ever at UT played only 12 games.

Ask California cornerback Tim Mixon. He blew out his knee in an August practice.

If Harrell did want to do some second-guessing Sunday, he could have arranged a conference call with Michael Bush and Anthony Waters.

Bush is the fantastic Louisville running back who spurned the NFL to come back for another year on campus. Best-case scenario? Heisman campaign.

Worst-case scenario? Broken leg in the season-opener against Kentucky.

Waters is a Clemson linebacker who also elected to come back to school for one more try at an ACC title. He tore his ACL in a season-opening rout of Florida Atlantic.

If I'm Harrell, I take the optimistic route. I think Jason Allen.

In the winter before UT's 2005 season, Allen weighed leaving for the NFL. He was told he'd likely be a second-round pick.

Allen came back to UT with the promise he could move from safety to cornerback.

He played terrific at cornerback - for four games. Then a Georgia tight end ran over him on Oct. 8 and knocked Allen's hip out of joint, ending his season.

But Allen's story has a happy ending. Although it was a nasty injury, Allen recovered in time for the combines and went as the 16th pick of the first round to Miami.

On one hand, Harrell got less of an opportunity to impress NFL scouts than Allen did. On the other, Harrell has a month longer to recover than Allen did.

As long as I'm wondering, I wonder what a couple of other Vols are thinking. Harrell wasn't the only one pondering the NFL last winter.

Arron Sears decided to come back to school. So did Turk McBride. Get out your binoculars Saturday night. Bet they'll have their fingers crossed.

Tony McDaniel and Rob Smith opted to go for the gold. Neither was drafted.

McDaniel's gamble paid off, though. He made Jacksonville's team as a free agent and was one of 40 ex-Vols on active rosters Sunday.

Smith is at least on Cleveland's practice squad. He almost surely would have helped himself by coming back for his senior year.

If he avoided getting hurt, that is.

And there's hardly a guarantee.

A parting thought

Air Force quarterback Shaun Carney doesn't have the size or speed to play in the NFL.

But if there's ever a nuclear missile locked in on Knoxville and I've got to pick one fighter pilot to shoot it down, Carney's my guy.

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.