After Case Keenum suffered a season-ending tear to the ACL in his right knee, there has been some doubt as to whether the fifth-year senior would seek to get another season of eligibility or make himself available for the 2011 NFL draft.
According to one report, the Houston quarterback has chosen the former route, at least for now.
Citing a person familiar with the situation, the Houston Chronicle is reporting that the school is putting together the necessary paperwork to file an appeal with the NCAA on Keenum’s behalf for a sixth season of eligibility. If the medical waiver is cleared — and it’s far from a slam dunk that it will be — Keenum would be afforded the opportunity to surpass the NCAA record for career passing yardage, a mark that was well within his reach before the Sept. 29 injury.
The Chronicle notes that there’s no specific timeline for UH to file an appeal or for the NCAA to rule on it, but there is a deadline that must be taken into consideration.
Draft-eligible players have until the middle of January to officially file paperwork declaring themselves for the April draft. If a decision isn’t handed down by early next year, Keenum could be faced with a tough decision: either take the chance the NCAA will rule in his favor and bypass the draft deadline, or protect himself by making the jump to the NFL.
Of course, given the labor strife in the sport, there’s no guarantee that professional football will even be played next season anyway.
For all involved, though, here’s hoping that the normally tortoise-like pace of the NCAA is picked up just a bit due to the unique circumstances of this case.
