LAFAYETTE -- The large leg cast Lamar Morgan wore last year was different than the ones he wore at other times in his football career.

More than one medical expert said Morgan could expect the worst from a knee injury that required surgery.

"It definitely was serious. The doctors didn't think I would run or even walk again," Morgan said.

Almost two years after tearing a knee ligament during his freshman season, Morgan is a starter at safety for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette football team.

Morgan is scheduled to play his second game since his rehabilitation at 5 p.m. today when ULL travels to meet Eastern Michigan at Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, Mich.

Playing with a cast and injuries are nothing new for Morgan, a 6-foot-2 strong safety from Copperas Cove, Texas.

"It seems as though in the past, I had a cast on some part of my body for something," said Morgan, who had one solo and six assisted tackles during last week's 60-3 loss at Texas.

Morgan even reported to the Cajuns wearing a cast.

"Lamar had some sort of wrist problem when he got here, but even then we saw that he has great speed and he was making plays," ULL defensive coordinator Brent Pry said. "He started about midway (in 2003), got two interceptions and we won both games. Then he went down with the knee and was lost for the season."

Morgan then tore an ACL, an injury that jeopardized his career.

"It was a really bad deal and the doctors really weren't sure whether Lamar would play football again," Pry said. "On the other hand after the surgery, I have never seen a football player approach rehab and work as hard as he did to get back to the playing field."

Despite the tackles against Texas, Morgan said his first game back since the injury wasn't always pretty.

"It wasn't a good game from me," he said. "It was a first game back, but I had a lot of things happen to me like mental busts and not carrying out the assignments that we practiced."

ULL's sports medicine staff have prescribed a leg brace for Morgan that he will have to wear at least for this season, while the knee continues to heal.

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By Bobby Ardoin
Special To Advocate