Florida will be without a lead tackle Shemar James for the remainder of the season after the sophomore underwent surgery on his left knee Wednesday.
James, of Mobile, Alabama, dislocated his kneecap in a 43-20 defeat against the first Georgia Saturday in Jacksonville. James twisted his knee during pregame warmups, put on a brace and was evaluated and cleared to play. He was injured again in the fourth quarter and left the game permanently.
Coach Billy Napier said after practice Wednesday that James’ injury has been a recurring problem at the high school.
“It looks a lot like a dislocated shoulder,” Napier said. “It happened to him in high school. It was an injury he had before. Kind of like a shoulder that pops out, if it pops out again, it needs to be repaired. … It won’t be a major factor long term for him.”
James leads the Gators (5-3, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) with 54 tackles, including 5 1/2 for a loss. Without him, the fourth year junior Mannie Convent should start against Arkansas (2-6, 0-5) Saturday.
“I think Shemar has been outstanding,” Napier said. “His practice habits, his character, he developed a voice. It’s something, especially lately, he was really starting to feel comfortable from a leadership standpoint and expressing himself. C So that’s the unfortunate part.”
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