Football
Beanie's Toe, and a Note on Terrelle
By John Porentas

 

Beanie Wells Booted Foot
Photo by Jim Davidson

Beanie's toe/foot, Beanie's toe/foot, Beanie's toe/foot.

It's hard to believe that an extremity on a college student could overshadow politics in an election year, but that is what has happened around the Buckeye State since Beanie Wells left the game against Youngstown State in obvious pain with an injured foot. Heck, the mania has become so overwhelming that there is hardly any Terrelle Pryor talk at the moment. Everybody everywhere wants to know about Beanie's foot. If you are a current OSU player, nobody wants to talk to you about anything except Beanie's foot.

"It can be tiresome, especially when it's your parents," said grinning Rory Nicol.

Marcus Freeman says wherever he goes, the question of the day is Beanie's foot.

Beanie Wells
:Photo by Jim Davidson

"I went to Chipotle the other day and when I gave them my credit card to pay, they saw my name and they asked me about his foot," said Freeman.

Wells was walking without a boot last night and without a limp. That doesn't necessarily mean he is fine, but it probably isn't a bad sign either.

Thus far there are no definitive statements from OSU regarding the injury. Speculation ranges from turf toe to torn ligaments, but it is just that, speculation. Jim Tressel said on Tuesday that Wells was probably doubtful for Saturday's game with Ohio University, but that he didn't think Wells' injury was one that would affect his play on a long term basis. OSU tight end Brandon Smith has had long-term personal experience with playing despite a chronic problem with turf-toe.

"I think I've had it since middle school. You tape it up and treat it the best you can, ice it down sometimes," said Smith.

The important thing is that Smith has been able to play with that injury even though it is chronic.

"It really inflames when you bend your toe. If I have to walk funny for a couple of days I'll do it. The rest is what's crucial. It's been in my right toe for a long time. My left one bothers me from time to time. The only time it doesn't hurt is if you don't flex it. It's one of those pain in the neck kinds of injuries," Smith said.

Tressel said on Tuesday that he has had no lack of suggestions from the public as to how to handle Wells' treatment and his playing time allocation. Many favor holding him out of the Ohio game in the hopes of having a more-healed Beanie ready for USC. That, however, may not be what Wells wants.

"You want to say to him not to come back until he's ready, until he's 100 percent healthy, but you know that's not going to happen," said Freeman.

"Beanie's a competitor. Beanie will play at 50 percent if he can and you want him on the field because Beanie at 50 percent is a better than a lot of people at 100 percent. When he feels like he's ready I'm sure that's what he'll do."

Tressel saw other reasons to play Wells if he is ready this weekend.

"If a guy is dying to play and you don't play him, you plant a seed of doubt in his mind and in other's minds, so if he's ready, he goes (plays vs. Ohio)," Tressel said.

Terrelle Pryor

* Obligatory Terrelle Pryor Note: Pryor was the second quarterback into the game against Youngstown State. Many thought that would be Joe Bauserman, but Pryor got the nod. Tressel said that was not an accident.

"I guess what you can read into that is that was our opinion, that that's what we should do at that moment. I think as you've watched 20-some practices he's done an evolution. He's done a good job and we thought it was the best thing," said Tressel.

Tressel added that as of now, if Todd Boeckman were injured, Pryor would be the next quarterback into the game.

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