Freak Injury Sidelines Jimmy Fryzel
April 27, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Orlando Predators News Release
ORLANDO, Fla. (April 27, 2005) -- At a time when most Arena Football League playoff contenders are busy getting healthy and trying to gel for a stretch run, the Orlando Predators continue to be hit hard by the injury bug.
The latest player to go down was starting offensive specialist Jimmy Fryzel, as a CAT scan revealed the former UCF standout had suffered a punctured lung, cracked rib and cartilage damage. Fyrzel was admitted to Orlando Regional Medical Center and is expected to remain there through tomorrow afternoon. He will be lost for a minimum of three weeks. Fryzel was injured early in the third quarter of last week's 52-49 win over the Georgia Force when a Georgia players was reaching out to make a tackle.
Fryzel described the injury as freakish in nature. "The defender came flying by and reached out to wrap me up," Fryzel said. "He sort of hit me just below the sternum with a closed fist and raked it across my side. I heard a pop and knew I had a problem. It's hard to believe he did that much damage from the angle he hit me from."
"The number of injuries we continue to experience is becoming extremely frustrating," Head Coach Jay Gruden said. "We're entering the part of the season when you want to have every one healthy and hitting on all cylinders. Instead, it seems that we are bringing in two or three new players every week just so can field a team."
In the last three weeks, the Predators have seen seven starters or key reserves go on the injured reserve list, including starting quarterback Joe Hamilton and five-time All-Arena DS Kenny McEntyre. Fryzel, who replaced Travis McGriff as the team's starting offensive specialist in Week 6, was off to an outstanding start -- catching 68 passes for a team-leading 989 yards and 17 touchdowns in just nine games. He tied an Orlando Predators team record with five consecutive 100-yard receiving games and he was ranked third in the league averaging 109.9 yards receiving per game.
With Fryzel out of the line-up, Gruden said he would most likely put another rookie â Jerrian James â at offensive specialist. An explosive player, James has 32 receptions for 337 yards and seven touchdowns and has Orlando's only kickoff return for touchdown this season, but he also has had some fumbling issues as well as problems with celebration penalties.
"When he stays under control, he's an excellent player," Gruden said. "We just need him to curb his enthusiasm a little and stay under control."
Gruden did receive some good news on Tuesday, as both FB/LB Marlon Moye-Moore and WR/DB Michael Brown were activated from the injured reserve list. Moye-Moore was the team's starting fullback/linebacker before going down with a quad injury on Aug. 3 against Los Angeles. Brown (fractured orbital bone) was injured in the same game.
But the team will still be without Hamilton, McEntyre, WR/LB Michael Brown, and lineman Buck Gurley. "It will be good to get those two guys back, but losing Jimmy is a huge blow. We're just going to have to regroup again and find a way to overcome the injuries," Gruden said.
PREDATORS NOTES: Thanks to last week's 52-49 win over Georgia (9-4), the Orlando Predators (9-4) control their own destiny...if Orlando wins its final three games of the season (at Philadelphia, at Austin and against New Orleans), the Predators will not only win their division but have home field advantage throughout the conference championships...Saturday's game with the Soul will be the first ever between Philadelphia and Orlando...the Soul (5-8) were a 2004 expansion team owned by rock icon Jon Bon Jovi....Orlando will take a 3-2 road record into the contest...Orlando is 6-3 and Philadelphia is 2-7 against common opponents this year.
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