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Tuesday, August 15, 2000
UH QB prospect Jared Flint has known something was wrong with his throwing shoulder since the spring. He just didn't know how bad it was until the team doctors told him it would likely require season-ending surgery this Saturday.
out for season
Jared Flint has a
Thompson may be in final year
torn rotator cuff
By Paul Arnett
Star-BulletinThe junior college transfer still held out hope after yesterday's practice he could rehab the shoulder and return in a couple of weeks, but University of Hawaii head coach June Jones said there was a tear in the rotator cuff and he was lost for the season.
"It's been bothering him through the spring and the summer," Jones said after yesterday's morning workout. "He has a tear in there, so, he'll have it operated on this weekend.
"We're disappointed and he is, too. He was right in there with everybody else. He had a good spring game, but we can't worry about that now. We've just got to move on with the six we've got."
Hawaii opened fall camp with eight quarterbacks. Freshman Chad Kapanui opted to move to linebacker at Monday's opening workout, but could compete at quarterback next spring.
Flint and Mike Harrison were probably one-two coming out of spring with Nick Rolovich also right there in the mix. Rolovich missed several practices in the spring with a bad thumb.
Harrison and Rolovich are probably the top two quarterbacks with Kevin Gilbride, Shawn Withy-Allen, Timmy Chang and Matt Manuma rounding out the six still standing. As for Flint, if he is lost for the season, he could apply to the NCAA for a medical hardship. He does not have a redshirt year available to him.
"The NCAA is more humane than it used to be," Flint said. "So maybe something good can come from this. I started to notice the pain last spring, but it was something I was able to play through.
"It got worse over the summer and that concerned me because I was trying to do some rehab. It felt pretty good the past three weeks, but last Thursday, I made a couple of throws and felt a sharp pain right in there (rotator cuff)."
Flint had an MRI done and was hopeful it was only tendinitis, but members of the UH medical staff said that was unlikely.
"I'll find out at the end of the week what action will be taken," Flint said. "Hopefully, it's not something I'll have to sit out for the season. If it is surgery, hopefully, it's a limited one. But any kind of surgery will be devastating to me because it's a tight quarterback race."
Harrison said he felt badly for Flint, adding, "You want to be the starting quarterback because you beat out everyone else, not because a guy goes down with an injury. We all feel badly for Jared and what he's going through."
Afatia Thompson was a little bummed after learning he was one of the 24 seniors on the University of Hawaii football team. Thompson may
be in final yearThe hard-nosed UH back
UH football notebook
has a chance at another season
through an appeal processBy Paul Arnett
Star-BulletinThe Warrior running back believed he was a junior, but was told last spring that his first year in the program counted because he was a nonqualifier coming out of Punahou School in 1996.
"The coaches told me to sit out and rehab my knee because I was coming off an injury and couldn't play anyway," Thompson said after yesterday's practice.
"I did what Pisa Tinoisamoa did last year. The bylaw states you can get your year back if you graduate by your eighth semester."
Thompson wasn't aware of this rule in 1996, and in order to qualify, would have to graduate in December. He believes he'll be done by next spring and is hopeful an appeal to the NCAA will afford him another year of eligibility.
"The bylaw was passed the first year I was in the program and I didn't know about it," said Thompson, who didn't see any playing time for Hawaii until 1998. "The compliance office believes I have a good chance to be granted an extra year. I'm going to pray on it and hope for the best next spring."
UH head coach June Jones said it was up to Thompson to petition the NCAA, but if he wanted to play another year Jones would be happy to have him.
"Right now, it's out of our hands," Jones said. "But I believe the way the rule is written he has a good chance to earn another year."
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu
