Injured Michigan football player Troy Woolfolk grateful for support
Troy Woolfolk, shown tackling a Michigan State running back, was injured at the Michigan football team's Tuesday practice.
AnnArbor.com file photo
Michigan football player Troy Woolfolk was injured during the team's practice Tuesday afternoon and transported to the University of Michigan Hospital.
Wolverines coach Rich Rodriguez released this statement regarding the injury Tuesday evening:
"Troy Woolfolk suffered a lower body injury during practice this afternoon and was transported to U-M Hospital with our team physician. We can’t comment further due to medical privacy rights."
The Detroit Free Press reported late Tuesday night that Woolfolk had dislocated an ankle.
Late Tuesday night, Woolfolk Tweeted: "I just want to let everybody out there that has shown concern for me know that I greatly appreciate it, and I love all y'all. ... Even though T-Woolf will be absent, Troy will be on the sidelines coaching and cheering for Michigan till all the air has vacated my lungs."
Woolfolk, a senior cornerback, is the most experienced member of the team's secondary. He started six games at safety and six at corner last year, although he planned to concentrate on cornerback in 2010.
Woolfolk was expected to be Michigan's most dependable member of the secondary, where the Wolverines are already thin because redshirt freshman Justin Turner left the program last week.
After Turner's departure, Rodriguez said he planned to play safety Teric Jones more at cornerback. Depending on the severity of Woolfolk's injury, the Wolverines might need to consider adding more bodies.
They've been snake-bit at cornerback over the past year.
In addition to Turner's untimely departure, Donovan Warren left school early after the 2009 season to enter the NFL Draft, expecting to be a mid-round draft pick. Instead, he signed an unrestricted free-agent deal with the New York Jets.
This spring, the Wolverines signed highly touted recruit Demar Dorsey. He could have played safety or cornerback, but the university denied his admission.
Boubacar Cissoko started the first four games of the season at right cornerback last year, but was kicked off the team for violating internal rules, and subsequently pled guilty to four robbery charges.
Adrian Witty was a highly touted 2009 cornerback recruit, but never made it to campus as a non-qualifier.
Comments
Kubrick66
Thu, Aug 19, 2010 : 1:46 p.m.
Yelmonian... You have me all wrong... I have no idea what happens on other team sites because I don't ever go there. I can only speak of the silliness that happens here.
Yelmonian
Thu, Aug 19, 2010 : 1:32 p.m.
Kubrick, Totally agree. I would have never made it to this site to antagonize everyone... if it wasn't for the obsesive UM fans commenting on MSU football articles. Glad to hear you agree that UM has obsessive fans.
Kubrick66
Thu, Aug 19, 2010 : 11:59 a.m.
Yelmonian... Big difference between "scouting" the other team and obsessively commenting on every article posted. But hey, I get it... that's why I sincerely thank all of your kind for keeping Michigan relevant during these turbulent times.
Yelmonian
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 6:38 p.m.
Kubrick, Your line is getting old about all things UM... go ahead, go to Mlive... and see all the comments from UM faithful regardin MSU. You will see it goes both ways. Old saying... good to keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.
JadedBlackDepth
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 5:16 p.m.
I was at that game. The cheering i referred to happend when he went down. BEFORE he got up and got off. WHILE he was on the field in pain. THAT is absolutely no class. Go back and watch the game again. Next time it is on B10 network. Or find it online. The cheering happend WHILE HE WAS IN PAIN ON THE FIELD, not while he was walking off. I have been to many games. I know when a player is helped off the field or walking off the field you clap to show support. That was not the support given to Stanton that day.
Kubrick66
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 4:50 p.m.
redceder1... As always thank you for your dedicated interest in all things Michigan Football... And remember, without people like you Michigan would be... Well, MSU. Bigger, stronger and hopefully faster next year, Troy! Go Blue 2010!
saginaw
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 3:19 p.m.
Great picture of Troy Woolfolk "tackling". Here is the entire play: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFhdvTMJhwQ
saginaw
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 3:13 p.m.
The most commented on story in the history of AnnArbor.com
Sean T.
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 1:40 p.m.
Redcedar, I can't argue that statement at all.
MetricSU
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 1:32 p.m.
Smiley/Lobber: Need to second what Yelmonian said. What happened in the Big House was not the usual polite applause when an injured player gets up. It was cheering when he was injured and stayed down. Most of us want to think we belong to a group with classy members. I cringe when I see the way some MSU fans act when visiting teams come to town. Most MSU fans are well behaved, but I fear that if, say, Forcier had gone down with an ijury in the MSU-UM game last year, several MSU fans would've cheered. Hate to say it, but UM fans are no better than any others. In fact, I was surprised at how loud the cheering was when Stanton got injured.
HailToASquared
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 11:41 a.m.
I am a true Michigan man and fan- haven been since the day I was born. But MAN do I feel bad for Rodriguez..(i know you homers will jump all over me for that). The guy DOES have a plan and scheme that can win you a LOT of games and can compete against the best teams in football (rather than get blown out against teams like USC/Texas/etc thanks to conservative Lloyd).. he has had distractions that he brought on himself outside of the field.. but on the field issues, I feel terrible for the guy. Things keep happening that just aren't his doing. Right when you think he might have a chance to break on through and put some things behind him there is always, ALWAYS, something else that comes up.. it never ends. RR didn't bring this injury upon himself or anything- thats just the way it goes for RR in AA. Maybe it just isn't meant to be? This young defense needs to play WAY beyond its years if Rodriguez is going to stick around- I think thats sad because Rodriguez is giving us an offense that can carve up big ten play and compete with the best.. and he showed dedication to defense in the last recruiting class.. its bad luck that his players have not been eligible for UM, or transferred, or injured, or kicked off the team for being idiots, etc. I know somebody will try and put all that on him- but its simply not.
Yelmonian
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 11:07 a.m.
Smiley/Lobber, There are quite a few jaded Spartan faithful when it comes to UM fans. We all understand clapping for the injured player when he gets up. It was the cheering that occurred when he first went down, and wasn't getting up that still makes many Spartan fans irritated. With that said, there is never a reason to be happy regarding an injury. We are talking about 18-22 year old kids, that have to live with the side effects of the injury for the next 60 years.
GoblueinNE_PA
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 9:58 a.m.
Boy, I don't know where to begin. I feel horrible for Troy. His career at Michigan is certainly not been what he expected. Maybe he'll get a redshirt and make it back next year, we'll see. As for the team, it's going to be tough sledding. That secondary was the weak point of the defense, at least on paper. I fear we'll see a lot of opponents running loose for long TD's. RichRod, I wish you well. The hole you find yourself in just got a tad deeper.
timeatwork
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 9:11 a.m.
comments on mgoblog indicated that tweets mentioned his foot sticking to the field turf.... i really hate that stuff, and if this is true, it is even more reason to get rid of it. anyone have anyword of how this happened?
Sparky79
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 8:57 a.m.
@chiro19 - I believe right now our CBs consist of JT Floyd, Teric Jones (if he moved back to CB from safety), little used senior James Rogers, and true freshmen Cullen Christian, Courtney Avery, and Terrance Talbott. There's also a few walk-ons who either haven't played or just played on special teams coverage. Needless to say, it's a MAJOR area of concern. Floyd didn't fair well in his limited playing time last season and the rest of the secondary is very young and totally inexperienced with the college game. By the way, whoever posted earlier about Woolfolk being one of our own from Ann Arbor Pioneer, that's incorrect. He went to Dulles High School in Texas.
lobber21
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 8:36 a.m.
replying to JadedBlackDepth Have you ever been to a sports game before?? whenever someone gets injuried, your team or the other team, everybody claps when the player gets up to show that they are glad they aren't seriously hurt. The only time you see the crowd not clap is if they are going out on a stretcher and they don't give the crowd any signal that they are okay like a thumbs up.
chiro19
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 8:29 a.m.
This is a very unfortunate injury! There where going to be problems in the D-secondary with him in. With him out it will really be tough. The D-line is going to have to do some special things this year in getting to the QB and the linebackers need to play a lot better this year vs. last year! Who are the starting CB's now? I thought it was going to be floyd, and woolfolk with teric filling in. So there is no skilled depth at CB. Fortunately the offense could score 35 points a game. Unfortunately teams in the big ten play grind it out football that eats up time and that is not good for a depleted defense that was suspect from the beginning! I dont feel like making a prediction in W vs. L because someone will/could step up but it will be tough come october!
Smiley
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 8:06 a.m.
@Jaded - You misinterpreted the clapping you observed. I shouldn't have to explain it, but for your future reference, fans often clap for a down player, upon their rise, to signify that they played a good game and the fans are happy to see that the injury is not so serious that the player needs to be removed by strecher without movement. For the love of God, man.
discgolfgeek
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 8 a.m.
First of all, so sorry for Troy Woolfolk who must endure much pain to get back to where he was. As for the Wolverines, it is a huge blow and could mean more losses because the secondary will be even more hard-pressed to stop any passing attack. For you RichRod haters, this just might be the reason he needs to ask for and get another season.
JadedBlackDepth
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 7:40 a.m.
He is gone for season. The injury he sustained is 6 weeks of no weight rehab, then 6 weeks of walking boot. Then still more rehab after that before prepared to play. It will be at least 16 weeks before he can sniff the field. So unless RR brings him in for the bowl(if there is a bowl) just to burn the redshirt, he will not be playing.
JadedBlackDepth
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 7:37 a.m.
This is funny. Fans from AA, mad at people enjoying the wolves when they are in trouble. What right do you have to be mad at that? Seriously. It was the fans that in AA cheered loudly when Stanton got hurt because he owned the game that day. When Stanton could not get off the field on his own they clapped and cheered. The lowest class I've ever seen on a field came from fans in AA, and you are now pissed at other colleges returning the favor? Get a life or get class.
NoBowl4Blue
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 7:36 a.m.
Never wish injuries on anybody so a wishes for a quick recovery. What was a suspect defense to begin with is now that much more so. Shame Rich Rod didn't put more of an emphasis on that side of the ball when he first got here or recruit guys who can make the grade or desire to stay. In the long run this will be a blessing as Rich Rod will finally be gone after another disappointing season. Pizza Pizza may now be out of reach. Sadly it may take a couple of years for the defense to catch up under coach Harbaugh but at least we know he can recruit.
timeatwork
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 7:32 a.m.
thats a shame. forget wins or losses. it comes down to a kid got hurt playing a game...and thats too bad.
81wolverine
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 7:21 a.m.
This is extremely unfortunate, both for Troy and for the team. Michigan just seems snakebit at the defensive back position. Hopefully, he won't be lost for the entire season. But, one of the poster's comments (Mike Williams) is pretty ominous in that regard. Ligament surgery would be the end of his season. It seems almost every year, fall practice results in at least one key player being lost to injury. This is one year we can ill afford it too. Well, everyone else will have to pick up the slack, like always. Best wishes to Troy for a quick and full recovery.
wvtroll
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 6:33 a.m.
It's always bad when a player sustains any injury. That being said, misfortune will usually bring about some form of surprise. With all that's going on at UM, perhaps this might expose some bright light that was being overlooked? I wouldn't give up hope just yet. The return to playing time for the injured player might just happen, and secondly, the discovery of a suitable replacement that might step up if there's a vacancy. This is, after all, college football. Another test for RR, though.
amaizenblueballs
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 10:28 p.m.
Bo - it is unfortunate enough you passed before the Ohio State game. It is time you play some of those remaining cards up in heaven. This trials are getting ridiculous and we need some wins! I know some of our foes will say you played them on the first four games of last season, but I believe differently.
amaizenblueballs
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 9:59 p.m.
Your heart goes out to this young man. He was ready to play and lead and as I indicated in a post days ago, this is an athlete deserving of our support. Unfortunately for the team, Troy is the guy we can least afford to lose. Dang it these are tough times for Michigan fans and no one is to blame - just freaking bad luck.
Engineer
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 9:52 p.m.
Our good luck just continues. Hopefully he will be well enough to push the rest of the team and come back for a great season next year with a medical red shirt. Too bad it happened to a leader on a team that really needed someone holding them accountable. The total lack of intensity last year was so sad to see. There was little to no passion and it sound like some of that continued over the summer and Troy called them out for it. Good luck Troy.
spartyisyourlilsister
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 9:21 p.m.
Well it looks like the haters will get their wish now. This team is too thin in the secondary to overcome an injury to it's leader on that side of the ball. I had cautious optimism about this season, but with Turner quiting the team and Wolfolk's injury, sadly it will probably be another long season and a pitiful end to the Rich Rod era.
eagleman
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 8:55 p.m.
I think it is sad that people are writing the season off before it has even started. Woolfork is one guy just as Brandon Graham was one guy. UM had a horrible defense with Graham. In order to have a good defense, you have to have all 11 guy playing well. UM is weaker now at CB, no question. But Cullen Christian has a load of talent and Floyd has had a good spring. UCONN has QB issues as does ND.Zach Frazier is not exactly an elite passer nor is Dayne Crist.
win
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 8:52 p.m.
Don't remember him at Ann Arbor Pioneer. But yes a good kid. And this is a huge loss for our defense. Gonna be tough this year, but someone will have to step in and play big for us on defense. We (fans) need to stay with this team! Support Michigan! This has been a rough two year period but I will not turn my back on my school and my team.
newe82
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 8:48 p.m.
That is to bad. My high hopes of a 6-6 season have been ruined. I now predict 4-8 with an 0-2 start against Connecticut and ND. Oh how the mighty have fallen. One injury and defense went from bad to horrible. There is always 2023 season to look forward to. It is going to get ugly this year.
azwolverine
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 8:47 p.m.
This is really unfortunate news. Troy was the leader of that secondary, and an emotional leader of the entire team. He's got Michigan blood running through his veins since before birth with his father being one of the all-time Michigan greats at RB. I hope he has a speedy recovery and, if he's out for the year, hopefully he can fulfill his dream of playing on a winner for UM next season.
WWBoDo
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 8:42 p.m.
Good kid, good Michigan blood, Ann Arbor Pioneer, one of our own, get well quick--you deserve better. God Speed!
Mike
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 8:39 p.m.
Woolfolk's father, Butch, a former Michigan All-American running back, told the Detroit Free Press that Troy sustained a dislocated ankle that had to be reset. There's possible ligament damage and a decision on surgery will be made later.
heartbreakM
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 8:32 p.m.
Sad thing about TW. He was really developing into a great team leader which hopefully he still will be and come back next year. Injuries are of course a part of the game, and the team will have to overcome it--what did LC and Bo used to always say? The next one in line has to play to the level of the position and not the injured player. Let's hope that happens for UM sake and really root for TW to recover. TW reminds me of Eric Mayes, captain of 1997 team who tore his knee apart, both in terms of emotional leader and in terms of season ending injury.
jameslucas
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 8:27 p.m.
Get well soon.
braggslaw
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 8:23 p.m.
1720 it is not just one player... It is turner, dorsey, cissouko... woolfolk they have no secondary. To stop the run Michigan was going to have to play man and jam the the line of scrimmage with safeties. there is no one on the team that can play man to man right now. Michigan will have to play zone to prevent the big play and the new defensive 3-3-5 surrenders the line of scrimmage. The defense is going to be horrible.
1720goblue
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 8:01 p.m.
braggslaw. how is that? one player and the season is over
braggslaw
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 7:58 p.m.
FYI He is done for the year. I see no possible way that Rich Rod can finish above 500.
HailToASquared
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 6:57 p.m.
Hey it took four posts for somebody to bash our head coach in an article that doesn't have to do with him! Maybe things are getting better it usually only takes a post or two!
3 And Out
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 6:48 p.m.
good kid...as a long time fan and alum, legacy michigan family my best is out to Troy...he works hard. That said, my prediction for the season with this lousy coach is now 4-8.
Sean T.
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 6:47 p.m.
Get healthy kid!
Yelmonian
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 6:41 p.m.
A serious injury, regardless of who the player represents, is not something to make snide comments about. Certain things are a little more important than supporting your favorite team. Hopefully the injury is not serious, and the young man can get back on the field quickly... or at minimum, not have long lasting issues.
Kubrick66
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 6:35 p.m.
Serenity now... Serenity now... Just preparing for the barrage of post from non-fans who get more enjoyment out of Michigan misfortune then they do out of their own schools good fortune.