Virginia Tech DB Antone Exum cleared to play against UNC
By Brad Rowland
It has been 5 days since the Virginia Tech Hokies grabbed a huge road win in Atlanta against Georgia Tech, but as if that wasn’t enough good news, the program got a fantastic injury report on Tuesday.
Head athletic trainer Mike Goforth announced that 2012 All-ACC defensive back Antone Exum has been cleared to practice and play after recovering from a torn ACL. In addition to this announcement, Goforth issued the following statement:
"“He will return to practice this week without any restrictions and is expected to continue rehabilitation for the remainder of the season. His playing time for North Carolina and all future games will be determined by how well the right knee tolerates practices this week and how quickly he re-establishes pre-injury cardiovascular endurance and pre-injury skill levels.”"
It remains to be seen how much Exum can go on Saturday against North Carolina, but his shear presence is a major win for the Hokies. Exum was considered to be one of the top returning defensive backs in the country after a stellar 2012 season, and while VT has played well in the secondary, a veteran presence like Exum will do wonders for freshman studs like Kendall Fuller and Brandon Facyson.
It’s always encouraging to see a top-flight player overcome injury, and it’s hard not to root for the young man as he hits the field this week.