Tom Koutsos Injures Knee in Blue-Gray Practice Session
12/23/2003 | 12:00:00 | Football
Dec. 23, 2003
TROY, Ala. - Southern Illinois University running back Tom Koutsos suffered a sprained right knee in practice Sunday in preparation for the Blue-Gray All-Star Classic. He saw a specialist on Tuesday who determined the knee does not need surgery, however Koutsos will not play in the Christmas Day game.
"Basically, I re-aggravated an injury that I've been playing with all season," Koutsos said by phone Tuesday night. "My legs got tangled up with a linebacker, and I felt some pain. It's better to be safe than to try to play in an all-star game when you're not 100 percent."
Koutsos was told to stay off the knee for several weeks before he resumes training.
"I went to Birmingham and saw Dr. Andrews, the same guy who did Michael Jordan's knee," Koutsos said. "He told me I could get myself ready by pro timing day."
Koutsos said he would return to Carbondale after the game and meet with the team's strength coach, set a training schedule and pick a day when NFL scouts will be invited to test and time him.
Koutsos is the SIU and Gateway Conference career rushing, scoring and touchdowns leader. He helped lead a remarkable turnaround at Southern, which finished 10-2 and won the Gateway title in 2003, advancing to the I-AA Playoffs for the first time in 20 years.
