Hokies lose third-leading receiver to serious injury

There’s rather scary news coming out of Blacksburg this afternoon as Virginia Tech announced via a press release that wide receiver Dyrell Roberts underwent emergency surgery Friday morning because of an injury suffered in last night’s win over Georgia Tech.

Roberts had initially suffered what was thought to be simply a thigh bruise on the Hokies’ first kickoff return of the game, returned briefly in the first half, then missed most of the second half. Unfortunately, the injury turned into something more significant in the hours after the win.

Overnight, the school said, Roberts developed a compartment syndrome in his left thigh that led to the emergency procedure. From WebMD:

Compartment syndrome occurs when excessive pressure builds up inside an enclosed space in the body. Compartment syndrome usually results from bleeding or swelling after an injury. The dangerously high pressures in compartment syndrome impede the flow of blood to and from the affected tissues. It can be an emergency, requiring surgery to prevent permanent injury.

A second surgery will be performed Sunday, and the junior will remain hospitalized for several days. He will also miss the remainder of the 2010 regular season, but has not yet been ruled out of Tech’s bowl game.

Roberts’ 21 receptions and 303 receiving yards are good for third and fourth on the team, respectively. He also has two receiving touchdowns this year.