It turns out the injury to Nebraska wide receiver De’Mornay Pierson-El was as bad as it looked. Pierson-El’s season is now over after it was announced he suffered a leg fracture and a knee ligament tear during Nebraska’s road loss at Purdue over the weekend.
“That’s a sad deal,” Nebraska head coach Mike Riley said Monday. Pierson-El’s injury occurred while celebrating with teammates after scoring a touchdown. He was taken off the field on a cart and was later seen walking around the sideline on crutches and a brace on his left leg.
Pierson-El played in five games this season for Nebraska, in which he had 12 receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown. He also contributed on special teams with four punt returns for 48 yards. As a freshman last year, Pierson-El had three punt return touchdowns and 596 punt return yards. He also added 321 receiving yards and four touchdowns, showing a glimpse of a dazzling playmaker in the making.