The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Sweed to undergo season-ending wrist surgery; Tiemann, Lewis to miss time
10.08.2007 | Football
AUSTIN, Texas -- Senior receiver Limas Sweed will undergo surgery to repair ligament damage in his left wrist and be lost for the remainder of the season, UT athletic trainer for football Kenny Boyd confirmed on Monday.
After a thorough evaluation of his wrist and discussions with the Longhorns medical staff throughout the day, team physician Dr. Carey Windler recommended the surgery and athletic trainer for football Kenny Boyd informed head coach Mack Brown late Monday afternoon.
"I knew it was an injury I would be dealing with going into the season and I did everything I could to play through the pain and help the team," Sweed said. "I've aggravated it a couple of times and again last week and have probably been in more pain than I let anybody know. I spent most of the afternoon on Monday with the doctors and training staff and they said that I should go ahead and have surgery to get it taken care of, so I'm going to take their advice. I'm disappointed I won't be out there playing but I'll be around cheering on the guys and doing everything I can to help the team. I appreciate all of the support I've had from the coaches, doctors, trainers and all of my teammates and look forward to getting myself healthy, hopefully, for a future in the NFL."
A 2006 first-team All-Big 12 selection and 2007 preseason All-American, Sweed has started 39 consecutive games and caught a pass in each of the last 24 contests. For his career, the Brenham (Texas) High School product has posted 124 receptions (No. 6 on UT's all-time list) for 1,915 yards (No. 5 on UT's all-time list) and 20 TDs (No. 2 on UT's all-time list), while averaging 33.3 yards per TD reception. He led the team with 46 catches for 801 yards and a school-record-tying 12 TDs in 2006. His streak of seven straight games with a TD catch that year tied Roy Williams' UT record.
Despite battling the wrist injury, he has posted 19 receptions for 306 yards and three TDs this season.
"We've been monitoring Limas' wrist injury closely throughout the season and visited with him quite a bit this afternoon after his most recent problems," said Windler. "He has had continuing problems with his wrist throughout the season. Since the injury has become more symptomatic and limiting, it has led us to recommend that he undergo surgery to repair it."
"We've been very fortunate to have Limas for the past four years," Brown said. "He's made a lot of great plays and had a record-setting career at Texas. Limas is a fine young man who has been a tremendous representative of our program on and off the field. We appreciate everything he did to try to help the team this year, but since he is in such intense pain, he cannot continue to play. He will stay involved helping us and supporting the team even though he won't be able to play, but since he keeps re-aggravating this injury, it's important that he gets it fixed because he has a bright future in the NFL."
Texas also will be without two other players for at least part of the season, Boyd added. Junior fullback Luke Tiemann will undergo surgery to repair a fracture in his left wrist and junior defensive end Aaron Lewis sustained a fracture in his left elbow versus Oklahoma on Saturday. Tieman will miss at least two weeks and Lewis will be out indefinitely, Boyd said.
A three-year contributor and first-year starter, Lewis, who has played in 27 career games, starting nine, leads the team in tackles for loss this season with seven. The native of Albuquerque, N.M. (La Cueva High School) has also posted 18 tackles, two sacks and eight pressures. After playing in eight games as a true freshman in 2005, Lewis saw his productivity more than double in 2006 to 21 tackles, eight TFL, three sacks and 11 pressures. For his career, Lewis has recorded 47 tackles, 16 TFL, five sacks, 20 pressures, four PBD, three fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.
"It's disappointing that I'm going to have to miss some time, but I'm going to make sure I do everything I can to help the team while I'm out," Lewis said. "Kenny (Boyd) and all of the athletic trainers do a great job, so I'm going to do everything they ask to get back to 100 percent as quickly as possible."
A three-time member of UT's Athletics Director's Honor Roll, Tiemann has played in 23 career games at fullback, defensive end and on special teams.
The Pflugerville (Texas) High School product has played in each of the first six games of 2007, working both at fullback and on several special teams units. He appeared in all 13 games last season making five tackles and forcing a fumble. For his career, Tiemann has made 11 tackles.
"It's been bothering me for a little while, so we felt it was best to go ahead and get it taken care of," Tiemann said. "I think I should be back soon and hopefully I will be able to contribute to the team at some point later on in the season."
