By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
All things considered, tight end Jon Dekker prefers the grass at Heinz Field, no matter the condition. Dekker will have surgery in a week to repair a torn ACL in his right knee, which occurred on what the players say was a poor playing surface at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
"It was non-contact. I was just planting and trying to cut on it," Dekker said. "It gave way. I knew it the second it happened."
The Steelers yesterday placed Dekker on the waived/injured list. As long as he clears waivers, he could rejoin the team later on their injured-reserve list. They signed tight end Lee Vickers to replace him and also waived defensive end Kevin Huntley after he failed their physical. They claimed him off waivers last week from the Redskins.
Dekker was bidding to make it as the third tight end.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger yesterday cited the poor playing surface in Toronto, where old, worn-out FieldTurf is rolled in and out by sections.
"I don't think many guys liked playing on it," Dekker said.
1 comment:
It seems to me like these athletes are always finding a way to deflect blame. Don’t get me wrong, I feel bad for the guy who hurt himself, but in all seriousness I have been playing on the sand and rubber fieldturf stuff for years and to be honest I have found that my cuts and plants are way sharper then they used to be on grass. Especially when you factor in the weather and how we can play on it without having to worry about slipping and really hurting ourselves on the large holes or divots in the grass. May I remind you about last years Steelers Dolphins game played on grass that resembled a swimming pool. These pro athletes need to start acting like pros. Big Ben needs to come down from his motorcycle and focus more on football.
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