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Sprain derails A-Train

With Bucs grasping for their playoff lives, Mike Alstott's season ends in a Soldier Field pile.

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By RICK STROUD

© St. Petersburg Times, published November 21, 2000

TAMPA -- The season is over for fullback Mike Alstott, the Bucs' A-Train turned A-Sprain.

The three time Pro Bowler sustained a third degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament of his left knee in the second quarter of Sunday's 13-10 loss at Chicago.

No surgery is scheduled, but the prognosis is for Alstott to miss 6 to 8 weeks. He will be in a cast 10 to 14 days and then will wear a brace for 1 to 3 weeks before he can begin rehabbing.

"Mike's (injury) is a tough one because he's been a big part of our offense and plays a lot of different positions for us and we're going to have to do without him for a little while," coach Tony Dungy said. "That's tough, but that's what happens this time of the year and other people are going to have to step up.

"It doesn't sound like it's going to require any surgery. It's just going to be a matter of resting up and letting it heal, so that's a positive."

The news on safety John Lynch's dislocated left shoulder was a little more encouraging for the Bucs.

Lynch could return for Sunday's game against Buffalo but will be listed as questionable this week. It's more likely he will play in two weeks when the Bucs host Dallas.

"John is very sore. He had a dislocation and it's going to be a pain tolerance thing," Dungy said.

Perhaps nobody was in more pain during Sunday's loss at Chicago than Alstott, who was injured at the end of a 3-yard run when his left leg got tangled in a pile of eight Bears players trying to make the tackle.

"I went into the pile, we had the surge and we were moving the pile," Alstott said on his weekly radio show on WDAE-AM 620. "The pile comes to a halt and you know how defenses always push back the pile. The lower part of my leg was pretty much stuck between the guys. As they pushed me sideways, kind of at an angle backwards and sideways, I couldn't free up the lower part of my leg. And that's when my thigh area and my knee just went with all the weight that was moving back and the lower part didn't. And it just separated that ligament there."

Alstott said he knew immediately his knee was injured, and he was in substantial pain before he hit the ground.

"I was screaming from the get-go, because I felt something with my knee," Alstott said. "I was screaming before I hit the ground. Talking to players today, they said they could hear someone screaming in the pile. It was me. I was screaming, "get off me.' It's one of those things, as an athlete, you know your body very well. And when your body does something abnormal with the movement, it pretty much freaks you out."

On Monday, Bucs coaches were meeting to determine how to fill Alstott's multi-dimensional role in the offense. It won't be easy.

In five seasons, Alstott has more than 860 career rushing attempts. His replacements -- third-year pro Rabih Abdullah and rookies Charles Kirby and Aaron Stecker have a combined 19 career rushing attempts.

This season, Alstott leads the Bucs in rushing touchdowns with five and is second on the club behind Warrick Dunn in rushing with 456 yards. He also has 13 receptions for 93 yards.

"I don't know, it's tough," offensive coordinator Les Steckel said. "I mean, he's one fine football player. So what we have to do as a staff is sit down and discuss that and decide who can fill in where. Right now, I haven't given it much thought."

Sunday's game provided some clues. The Bucs likely will continue using Kirby as a blocking fullback. Abdullah likely will be used in short yardage situations and Stecker could get some touches.

"Charles stepped in and did a nice job," said Steckel. "That's what we need for Warrick in the two-back set that Mike gives us. Patrick Hape has played that position a little bit, but I think Charles will be a good fullback.

"We're very confident with Rabih. He showed us a lot during preseason. That's why he's on the team."

Kirby, who was activated on the 53-man roster two games ago, never figured he'd replace Alstott until Sunday's injury.

"I was like, this is real now," Kirby said. "Mike is so important on the team. That's Mike Alstott. Words can't really describe it. I knew when he went down it was time for me to really step it up."

If Lynch is unable to play, the Bucs will continue to use free safety Damien Robinson at Lynch's strong safety spot and play Dexter Jackson at Robinson's position.

Since Dungy became coach in 1996, the Bucs have been fortunate with respect to injuries. Linebacker Hardy Nickerson missed the final six games of the '98 season with pericarditis, an inflammation of the sac around the heart. Defensive end Chidi Ahanotu went down the same year with a shoulder separation. Last season quarterback Trent Dilfer fractured his collarbone with five games remaining. And tackle Paul Gruber broke his leg in the regular-season finale and missed both playoff games.

"In the years that you win, you generally get through without a lot of major injuries," Dungy said. "But that is part of football, and we've had guys out for a week or two and you just have to step up and get the job done and we'll have to do the same thing in this situation."

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