Crews back at practice

Tennessee sophomore center Duke Crews is back in action after being held out for more than a month due to a heart condition.

“Since identifying a concern for a heart condition, Duke has undergone rest, careful monitoring and more than a half dozen cardiac tests,” team physician Dr. Chris Klenck said in a UT release Friday. “These tests have been evaluated by respected cardiologists throughout the nation with extensive experience caring for professional and collegiate athletes.

“Based on their recommendations, Duke’s condition is compatible to a return to competition. We will continue to monitor Duke closely, as we do with all of our student-athletes.”

The original diagnosis for Crews, who has been held out since Dec. 14, was that it would be eight to 12 months before he could resume training.

“We are pleased that Duke is able to return,” UT coach Bruce Pearl said. “We will try to get him up to speed as quickly as possible while keeping in mind that he has had no activity for more than a month.”

Crews was diagnosed with the heart problem after undergoing an echocardiogram test that the University of Tennessee provided to all of its student-athletes.

“I was basically playing with half of a heart,’’ Crews said. “The way I look at it, I’ll come back being twice the beast I was before.’’

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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