An ankle issue Robert Woods dealt with all of last season and led to offseason surgery kept the All-American wide receiver out of USC’s spring practice sessions earlier this year, leading some to wonder and/or worry whether the problem would bleed into yet another season.
While that may indeed be the case, there doesn’t appear to be any real reason for any significant concern. At least for now.
Speaking to reporters following an unofficial team passing session Friday, Woods confirmed that he will remain sidelined from summer workouts for the foreseeable future due to a lingering inflammation issue in the ankle. Despite that, Woods isn’t concerned about playing through the pain yet again, especially in light of how he coped with it last season -- 111 receptions for 1,292 yards and 15 touchdowns.
“I thought about it, the possibility of not being healthy for the season, of still being sore,” Woods said. “But then I remembered I was sore all last year and I did OK, so I think I’ll be all right.”
Woods also expects to be ‘all right” by the time summer camp rolls around in early August. Whether that return will entail full medical clearance or limited participation remains to be seen.
Then again, when you’re talking about a player who’s caught over 170 passes for more than 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns, the Trojans can afford to err on the side of caution when it comes to preseason practice.