Walker, Hawkins have surgery

With injuries starting to pile up as spring practice continues, a pair of Tennessee football players underwent surgery Tuesday.

Sophomore defensive end Chris Walker, already limited for much of spring practice, had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

Redshirt freshman Josh Hawkins, who will move from running back to linebacker, had surgery to remove hardware from a previous operation.

Both players won't be back until fall camp.

"They will not participate in the spring, but they will definitely be back for the fall," UT coach Phillip Fulmer said.

Linebacker Nevin McKenzie will miss the rest of spring practice after suffering a sprained left knee during Saturday's scrimmage.

Fulmer also said that fullback David Holbert's future remains uncertain, suffering a dislocation of his left knee Saturday.

The senior, who missed last season after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee, spent some 20 minutes on the field before UT trainers and team doctors carted him to the training room.

Holbert will require several surgeries, and it remains unclear whether he'll return to the field.

"He'll have some surgery, and what happens for the fall will be determined," Fulmer said. "Fortunately, he didn't have any artery damage or nerve damage or anything like that from the dislocation. We're glad for that."

True freshman tailback Tauren Poole did not practice Tuesday while nursing an injury, however he is expected back Thursday, running backs coach Stan Drayton said.

Hangin' With Mr. Cooper: With the injury to Holbert, sophomore Kevin Cooper becomes UT's most experienced fullback.

Or the Vols' only fullback.

Cooper, who played in seven games last season primarily on special teams, is busy learning the ins and outs of his position, which was all but eliminated in David Cutcliffe's offense last season.

"It's very different," Cooper said. "Last year, the H-back played on the line at tight end. I'm really not accustomed to playing on the line. I hadn't played on the line until I got here last year. The fullback now is a true fullback - catching passes in the flat and everything like that."

Fulmer said that Cooper needs to become more consistent this spring.

"He had an excellent Thursday scrimmage and a not-so-good Saturday scrimmage and then (Tuesday) right up until the end, he wasn't out there," Fulmer said. "He's still got to prove himself yet, but he's certainly shown flashes of being a good player."

Playing Ball: UT scrimmaged for about half its practice Tuesday, working about 35 plays each for the first and second team.

"The only way we're going to get better is to continue to play football and play as much 11-on-11 as we can," Fulmer said.

The Vols also performed the Tennessee drill, a one-on-one drill designed to foster toughness.

Quarterback Reaction: Fulmer called Saturday's scrimmage a good film study for his quarterbacks, despite the fact they were limited from a scheme standpoint.

"Now we can take the next steps. Whether they're big steps or baby steps will depend on them. This will be a good film study for them," Fulmer said. "It's not rocket science. It's just experience they've got to continue to develop."

Smith Visits: Former UT and NFL defensive end Chuck Smith visited with the team Tuesday.

"I think he brings a level of intensity that he played with as a college player and as a professional player," Fulmer said. "When he spoke to the team, that intensity came through."

Dave Hooker contributed to this report.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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