CB Antone Exum suffers right ACL, meniscus tear, expected to be out 6-9 months
Virginia Tech’s secondary suffered a major blow over the weekend.
The school confirmed Sunday night that All-ACC cornerback Antone Exum tore his right anterior cruciate ligament and lateral meniscus, an injury expected to keep him out for 6-9 months. It happened during a pickup basketball game on campus.
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Head trainer Mike Goforth will evaluate Exum to determine if he is ready for surgery, which could occur as early as Thursday. It will be done by Dr. Marc Siegel at LewisGale Montgomery.
Goforth was confident Exum would be able to return in the 6-9 month timeframe, based on similar surgeries. Exum already redshirted in 2009.
A second-team All-ACC pick from Deep Run, Exum opted to return for his senior season earlier this month instead of entering the NFL Draft. The rising senior moved from safety to cornerback last offseason and emerged as the team’s top pass defender, with 48 tackles, a team-high five interceptions and an ACC-best 16 pass breakups.
He capped off the season by earning Russell Athletic Bowl MVP honors after his interception of Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova in the fourth quarter set up a touchdown that sent the game to overtime, where Tech won. It was the second most noteworthy thing he did that week.
The Hokies were banking on Exum to be one of the defense’s leaders in 2013. A six-month recovery timetable would put his return in late-July, prior to the start of August practice. If it’s in the 9-month range, he wouldn’t be back until late-September or early-October.
It’s a blow to a Virginia Tech secondary that was primed to have everyone return in the same positions for a second straight season.
Other than senior Kyle Fuller, the Hokies’ other cornerbacks are light in experience. True sophomores Donovan Riley and Donaldven Manning got the most playing time of the backups last season, but even that was minimal. Junior walk-on Carl Jackson and redshirt freshmen Davion Tookes and Der’Woun Greene could also see increased reps.
Virginia Tech will eventually have incoming freshman Kendall Fuller, a five-star recruit and Kyle’s younger brother, who has a chance to compete for playing time immediately. But he can’t sign until February and won’t be able to join the team until May at the earliest.
The Hokies’ two starting safeties — Detrick Bonner and Kyshoen Jarrett — both have cornerback experience, having moved from there last offseason.
Exum seemed excited for his senior season, tweeting about his workouts in the last month. He attended Friday’s introductory press conference for the Hokies’ new coaches, adding some humor to the proceedings by taking the microphone to ask new receivers coach Aaron Moorehead if he joined the staff because of how good the Virginia Tech secondary was.
Moorehead played along, promising the cornerback that his group was going to out-work everybody on the team, adding that the Hokies’ secondary “better be ready to bring it day-in and day-out.”
UPDATE: Exum tweeted about the injury late Sunday night:
1. Thank you everyone for your thoughts & prayers. This has been the worst day of my life. But I will now DEFINITELY be the hardest working
— Antone Exum Jr. (@IAmSwag1) January 28, 2013
1. player in the country. I will come back stronger than I've ever been. For myself, my family, my team, and #HokieNation! #CantHoldMeBack
— Antone Exum Jr. (@IAmSwag1) January 28, 2013
January 27, 2013 - 7:43 PM
No more pick-up basketball games for football players. Save the pick-up games for Champs, or The Hokie House.
Shame shame. Hope he recovers quickly, but I doubt he’ll be ready for Bama. Looks like Kendall Fuller will get thrown in the fire quickly. We’ll see what a 5 star really means.
That stinks-maybe a call to Adrian Peterson for some advice can speed recovery along! I am more than sure Exum wants to be on the field for Alabama
Hang in there Antone, get well soon!
Thank goodness he didn’t declare for the draft….
Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
Our PRAYERS are with you Antone – I know you will be back!
We are all pulling for you Antone! Here’s to a super recovery!
A shame to hear that for Exum. As Zman noted, it’s fortunate he is still in school. This could have happened while he was walking up a flight of steps, or getting out of his car. Best of luck to him in his recovery. Football comes second anyway, let’s hope he heals well.
Best wishes to Antone for a good, quick, full recovery.
I am praying for you also Antone-you are a champion!
Will be thinking of you Antone. You’re a strong young man and can overcome this set back. Hokie Nation is behind you.
Knowing Exum’s drive, he will be fixed on getting rehabbed soon, and busting his chops to get back to playing shape. I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes it back in time for August’s camp because of his drive. He is like a race horse that is ready to burst out of the gate before the shot is fired.
Sadly, this seems to be more common now than ever, with athletes playing pickup basketball. I remember playing a pickup game with Pierson Prioleau during a Tech offseason and I remember thinking, what if one of these guys undercut him going up for a shot or rebound? So many of these guys were stars on the basketball court in high school before they were Hokies on the football field. They miss that part of themselves and many times they will play any chance they get. My brother often spoke of how good Tyrod’s intramural team, made up of mostly football players and were really good and won the Intramural championship. Again, its been said they could hurt themselves doing almost anything. Good luck Exum! See you in the fall!
I sure am sorry about your injury. You have the heart of champion and I believe that you can be as good as you were, maybe even better. You’ve got a bunch of people pulling for you.
Chances against Bama have now been decreased from 5% to 3%
Antone, I don’t know if you’ll ever see this, but now is the time to stay involved! It sucks that you got hurt, but as a senior, you have a lot of influence- not only on your backups, but on the team as a whole. Its not what youre thinking about right now, buy with all of the recent changes at VT, you are one of the key, vocal veterans to step up and help direct the team back to a great season in 2013! I’m sorry this happened. Fight through it. Rise above it! Thoughts and prayers, man.
I hate this for Antone. Come back strong.
Andy, don’t forget about Brandon Facyson, who enrolled last week. You know he’ll be working to get out on the field as well.
Andy, do you speak with Doug Doughty regularly? Any idea what this means, from his article?
“[FORK UNION FB COACH] SHUMAN WAS embroiled in several recruiting scenarios this week, one involving defensive lineman Tyrell Chavis, a 2012 UVa signee who has been committed to the Cavaliers for most of the year but got a late rush from Virginia Tech.”
His article made it sound like Shuman may have influenced UVa signed Chavis NOT TO VISIT Virginia Tech on a recruiting visit, but to instead study for a class. This is in the same mention of his concern that his own son was not getting enough playing time at VT. I don’t think I read into it that much, but the gist of that comment in the article was not clear to me. Thanks.
Andy,
On Bleacher Report I saw the the Big 12 conference might hook up with ACC and 2 other conferences, Do you know anything?
Adrian Peterson being the genetic freak exception, virtually no baller comes back from ACL surgery at true 100% capacity his first season. It’s the second season when they’re back to full tank. Best of luck to Exum, with the caveat reminder there is life beyond football. Prep for the 3rd & 4th quarters of life, not just the 1st & 2nd!
SXHokieFan, you have a link to that Bleacher Report story?
Lot of variables after such an injury. Heart, desire and discipline in rehab are big, but so is the surgery. Even routine surgery by respected surgeons can produce unforseen complications, I hope for the best for Mr. Exum. He is sorely needed on the field, but as crooked road reminds us, twice already on this page, there is life after football. Hopefully, Antone won’t have to experience it for 15 years or so. Good luck, young man!