(Update Jan 6th) ESPN’s Chris Mortensen Tweeted out that Jaylon Smith suffered a torn ACL and MCL. He will reportedly undergo reconstructive knee surgery on Thursday.
Notre Dame OLB Jaylon Smith will undergo reconstructive left knee surgery Thursday, per sources. Has been top 5-10 draft projection.
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) January 5, 2016
ESPN’s ND guy Matt Fortuna followed up with this story on Jaylon Smith-
Sources: #NotreDame LB Jaylon Smith has torn ACL, MCL https://t.co/MDZOghJbgB via @mortreport
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) January 5, 2016
GLENDALE- (Jan 1ST)- Obviously, the very first question that Notre Dame Football Coach Brian Kelly was asked after the Fiesta Bowl was “how’s Jaylon Smith?” The star linebacker and the team’s overall best defender left the Fiesta Bowl early with a very gruesome leg injury.
I Tweeted out the information that Kelly revealed-
https://twitter.com/PaulMBanks/status/683046997167706112
ND lost the game 44-28, but losing Jaylon Smith is an even bigger blow.
Here’s what Urban Meyer had to say about it after
Q. When they lost Jaylon Smith, how much difference did that make?
COACH MEYER: He’s a monster. He’s a dude. He’s a guy that is going to be playing in the NFL for a long time. I wish I had the chance to shake his hand. I know his family.
I hope he’s fine. High ankle sprain?
Q. Significant knee injury is what Brian said.
COACH MEYER: Knee? Oh, shoot. I didn’t know that. I know he’s a wonderful player, but I know him more than that, too.
To see where we have Jaylon Smith slotted in our latest NFL Mock draft, go here.
Obviously that draft status is very much in limbo after the injury and many things could change.
Regarding running back C.J. Prosise, Kelly said “yeah, he just felt like he couldn’t go.”
Regarding overall big picture with ND Football, this reporter question and Brian Kelly response pretty much says it all.
Q. Brian, it’s been 22 years since Notre Dame won a major bowl. If there was an easy answer, you would have implemented it. What do you do to stop that streak or do you stay on course where you’re headed right now?
COACH KELLY: I like where we are. We’re going to keep banging at the door. Keep playing Ohio State, keep playing Florida State, keep playing Alabama, keep playing these teams in these kinds of venues, in these kinds of games.
We don’t want to be playing directional teams with no profile to them.
Big names, great traditions, New Year’s six games. Keep playing them, get in them. Keep building your program, keep recruiting, keep doing it the way you’re doing it, and we’re going to win these games.
We’ve made significant progress since where we were in 2012. We’ll get there. Hopefully we won’t have as many injuries. We’ll get back here again. We’ll win ’em.
I had a similar process in my career earlier when I was in Division II. Took us about six years to win a playoff game. Then we won three national championships.
Look, I’m not saying we’re ready to win three national championships. But stay the course, keep doing what we’re doing, keep recruiting, keep bringing in great guys like this, and we’ll get there.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and sometimes writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. The website is also featured on News Now.
Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye. He also appears regularly on numerous television and radio talk shows all across the country. Catch him Tuesdays on KOZN 1620 The Zone.
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