McNeil's future in the balance

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Tennessee center Josh McNeil watch his teammates practice at Haslam field on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009.

Tennessee center Josh McNeil's career is at a crossroad. Doctors will decide where he goes next.

Head football coach Lane Kiffin said McNeil will undergo an arthroscopic procedure this morning to determine the extent of his left knee injury.

"That's anywhere from three weeks to his career being done," Kiffin said. "I don't know any more than that right now except he won't be with us for awhile."

An obviously sullen McNeil watched practice from the sideline Tuesday. He wasn't available for interviews as per UT's policy with injured players.

McNeil's father, David McNeil, said his son's surgery is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. David McNeil said the best report from the procedure would simply be torn cartilage, even though his son has very little of the cushioning tissue remaining. A fracture is a much greater fear.

David McNeil said the injury occurred last week when another player rolled up on his son's left leg.

"He knew that something happened then," the elder McNeil said. "He thought he broke it."

The senior from Collins, Miss., tried to practice sparingly last week but found the pain was too much. The realization came after Saturday's scrimmage, the last full contact practice of preseason camp.

"He knew how important the one was Saturday," David McNeil said of the scrimmage.

Josh McNeil took over for Cody Sullins, who started the scrimmage, in the second half. Just three plays in, McNeil re-injured the knee, yet finished the scrimmage.

An MRI, which would typically provide an accurate diagnosis, isn't an option. Josh McNeil's knees are already too badly damaged for the test, Kiffin and David McNeil said.

"I don't think a lot of people understand how bad his knee actually is," David McNeil said.

The timing of McNeil's latest injury is almost as painful as the injury itself.

After overcoming shoulder injuries as an underclassman, off-field issues and admitted resentment towards Kiffin's competition-first, seniority-never approach to open competition, McNeil seemed to have come of age.

McNeil had one of his best off-season showings in the weight room, adding 15 pounds of muscle to his normally undersized frame.

"He's worked so hard to get ready for this year," David McNeil lamented.

Josh McNeil certainly seemed to have overcome the ill feelings he admitted having with the ongoing competition with Sullins, a former walk-on. As preseason camp began, McNeil said the competition certainly made him better.

David McNeil said his son's latest injury had nothing to do with pushing himself too hard for the sake of competition.

"He's going to push himself hard either way," David McNeil said. "This is his last season. He pushed himself trying to be the very best he could be for his senior year."

David McNeil said his son also has a minor wrist injury but that it isn't an issue. The left knee is what could cut his once-promising career woefully short.

"You'll have to drag him off the field," David McNeil said of his son, who was ranked the No. 1 center prospect in the nation in 2005. "People can question his heart, but nobody has a bigger heart than him."

David McNeil said no one knows what his family has endured over the course of his son's injury-plagued career, a career in which Josh McNeil started 35 games. Now David McNeil's greater concern is for his son, who may be forced to give up a huge part of his life.

"This is something he's been doing since the fourth grade," David McNeil said. "He didn't expect this to happen. You can only imagine his psyche."

Guard Vladimir Richard said he is very sad for his fallen teammate but believes in Sullins.

"For me, they've been battling all camp," Richard said. "I've been next to Cody with the starting group through practices and scrimmages. I'm comfortable with Cody. He's been doing his thing all camp."

Richard described the battle between McNeil and Sullins during preseason camps as been "real close".

"I'm very confident that he's going to go out there and get the job done," Richard said of Sullins.

Kiffin wants to believe, but admits there's reason for fear.

"From what we've seen, it's very high," Kiffin said when asked of his confidence in Sullins. "He's never really played so there's always a fear of that. The guy all of a sudden is the starting center after playing in two blowouts in his whole career.

"There's always a concern there. But what he's done for us, he's done really well. We'll go with him and see how far he can take us."

All the while, the McNeils are curious how far their son's left knee can take him. They will wait for doctors to decide.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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