FSU star running back Dalvin Cook will be off the field for the rest of spring practice and part of the summer after surgery on his right shoulder.
With the 2016 college football season just five months away from starting, schools across the country will be concluding spring practice in the coming weeks hoping to avoid major injuries to star players.
The Florida State Seminoles will end their spring schedule this Saturday with the annual Garnet and Gold game, but it won’t feature FSU’s best offensive weapon and one of the early leaders for the 2016 Heisman Trophy.
Running back Dalvin Cook had surgery on his right shoulder Tuesday after injuring it during a pass protection drill at practice. While he will be fine for the 2016 season, Cook will miss the rest of spring practice and likely not be ready to return to practice until the summer, according to head coach Jimbo Fisher:
"“We cleaned up a little stuff in the back of the shoulder,” Fisher said. “He’ll be ready to go June, July and train and do everything. We had him checked, and it was questionable whether to do it or not, so they went ahead, and good thing they did. It’s nothing drastic.”"
As a sophomore in 2015, the Miami native was one of the top backs in college football, breaking FSU’s single-season rushing yard record with 1,691 to go along with 19 touchdowns, one short of tying that record for a single season.
Cook has twice had shoulder surgeries before (once in high school and once during spring practice at FSU in 2014), but Fisher said they are not related.
Cook joins other FSU running backs Mario Pender and Jonathan Vickers in sitting out Saturday’s game, being played at Orlando’s Citrus Bowl stadium while work continues on the Seminoles’ home, Doak Campbell Stadium.
Jacques Patrick, who started one game in 2015 as a freshman while Cook was injured and ran for over 160 yards and three touchdowns, is expected to get most of the carries along with fellow running back Ryan Green.
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