TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Merriman To Delay Surgery On Knee

ADVERTISEMENT

The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 28, 2008

SAN DIEGO - The surgeon's knife can wait. Shawne Merriman is going to play football, two torn knee ligaments and all.

A day after visiting a fourth doctor, the San Diego Chargers' star outside linebacker decided Wednesday to play this season rather than have surgery on his damaged left knee.

"To be as simple as possible, I just want to play football," Merriman said. "That's what it comes down to. I know what's on the table, I know what's on the line. I put a lot of work in this and I want to play."

Merriman said late last week that he has tears in the posterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments in his left knee, which he hurt in a game at Tennessee in December. He spent several days seeking outside opinions. He returned Tuesday after seeing a doctor in Miami.

Merriman said all four doctors said he needed surgery, but there "just wasn't a time frame on that. My knee still looks pretty good. The decision was left up to me to play. If you give a football player a decision to play, you know, I'm going to play."

Merriman has 391/2 sacks over the past three seasons, more than any other NFL player, and has played in three straight Pro Bowls.

NFL Still Lacking In Gender Diversity
MIAMI - The NFL has kept a steady number of black head coaches, while slightly increasing the ranks of Asian and Latino players, earning a B+ in an annual diversity study Wednesday.

However, the league didn't get a grade for gender diversity for the fourth year in a row. The NFL is the only pro sports organization that refuses to share its league office data with University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports, which also conducts annual studies on the NBA, Major League Baseball, WNBA, pro soccer and college athletics.

HALL OF FAME: Claude Humphrey and Bob Hayes were nominated by the seniors committee as finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Hayes, an Olympic gold medalist as a sprinter, played for Dallas from 1965 to 1974 and for San Francisco in 1975. He averaged 20 yards a catch for his career and led the NFL with a 20.8-yard average per punt return in 1968.

Humphrey was a regular finalist two years ago, his final year of eligibility. He played 11 seasons with Atlanta before finishing his career with Philadelphia from 1979 to 1981.

JAGUARS: Former University of Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey ended a 33-day holdout by signing a five-year, $23.8 million contract. Harvey was the last first-round draft pick to sign.

PACKERS: Defensive lineman Johnny Jolly Jr. faces a Sept. 16 court date on a felony drug possession charge, according to court records.

SEAHAWKS: Lofa Tatupu has a bone bruise in his right knee, but the Pro Bowl linebacker is expected to play in the season opener Sept. 7 at Buffalo.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT