The bad news for Jacques Smith and Tennessee is that the defensive end recently underwent another medical procedure.
The good news, though, is that it shouldn’t impact the starter’s availability for the start of the 2011 season.
During his time with the media at the SEC’s spring meetings Tuesday, head coach Derek Dooley revealed that Smith underwent surgery recently on his left foot to repair a minor stress fracture. Andrew Gribble of the Knoxville News Sentinel writes that “Dooley called the surgery ‘precautionary,’ indicating that it wasn’t a necessary procedure, but one he considered an “insurance policy” for the upcoming season.”
While Smith will likely be limited during summer workouts, he’s expected to be fully recovered for the start of camp in August.
Smith suffered an injury to his foot during a mid-April spring practice session and missed UT’s spring game. The sophomore-to-be subsequently underwent surgery for that injury.
Last season, Smith played in all 13 games as a true freshman. This year, he will be penciled/Sharpied in as a starter entering camp as Dooley had previously called the player “the best defensive lineman we have so far this spring.”