Injured cornerback Nolan Carroll watched one game from the team’s academic center.
And that was enough.
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“I actually snuck down by the locker room last week and watched it from the tunnel because I couldn’t stand to watch in there,” Carroll said. “I had to watch it down on the field. That’s where I’m so used to being.”
Carroll broke his right tibia in the Terrapins’ Sept. 12 game against James Madison, ending his senior season. But in his first visit with reporters since the injury, Carroll yesterday offered some insight on his situation.
He’s been told it will take three-to-six months to fully recover, and from the timeline he offered, it’s probably on the longer end of the scale. Doctors expect him to start jogging in December and running a month or two later.
It was the second time he broke his leg. As a high school senior, his foot got caught on the ground. This time, a teammate accidentally whipped his leg into Carroll’s, causing a break just below the old one.
“It was kind of a similar feeling that I had in high school,” Carroll said. “The first time I did it, I tried to get up and walk on it. I knew I wasn’t even going to try to do it this time.”
For now, Carroll will rehab and try to remain involved with the Terps, who are 1-3 entering Saturday’s game against Clemson. His ability to spend much time in practice is limited because his leg must still remain elevated, but he attended practice for an hour on Monday and also returned to his one remaining class yesterday.
Considering his recovery timeline, he’s hopeful he’ll be ready for NFL Draft prep early next year.
“It really hasn’t affected what’s in the future for me,” Carroll said. “I’m still optimistic about everything.”
—- Patrick Stevens
