Tennessee’s Stafon Johnson and Houston’s Ben Tate both suffered brutal injuries Saturday night that will in all likelihood prematurely end their respective seasons.
Mancini’s Take: Johnson’s injury in particular (a dislocated ankle) is most unfortunate when you factor in his improbable comeback from a crushed larynx he experienced last year. The USC product was just battling for a reserve spot, but showed signs of being a productive player in Saturday’s game versus Seattle by gaining 23 yards on three carries, including a 17-yard run. During his college years, Johnson was known to be a patient back with good vision. Some have already speculated that the rookie’s latest setback may signal the end of his days as a football player. To Johnson’s credit, he’s shown that he has a lot of heart, so we would be jumping the gun if we didn’t think he could reemerge from his severe ankle