Saturday, August 22, 2009
By Pete Mollica
He fractured his ankle in the spring game and has had to settle for riding a stationary bike during fall practices.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State senior defensive back Lenny Wicks is spending more time riding a stationary bike than he is on the football field and he’s not very happy about it.
Wicks. a starter at cornerback the last two seasons, suffered a fractured ankle in the Red-White spring scrimmage last April. He had surgery in which a screw was placed in his ankle.
“They took the screw out, but now it’s just a matter of waiting until the doctors give me clearance to play,” Wicks said this week. “I want to be out there playing, I want to help this team, but right now I just have to keep doing what I’m doing until the doctors say I can play.
Wicks (5-foot-10, 190 pounds), from Pittsburgh, Pa., is hoping to be back in action by the time the season opens, but even then it will take a couple of more weeks to get into football shape.
“It’s tough knowing that your teammates really need you out there, but you can’t do anything about it,” Wicks said. “I want to be out there, they don’t know how much I want to be there.”
The Penguins are a little thin at the cornerback spot right now. Besides Wicks, sophomores Randy Louis and sophomore Branden Sibley are both down with injuries and redshirt freshman Bryan Gaiters suffered a scare in the first jersey scrimmage when he went down with a knee injury, but has since returned to action.
Wicks said last season was a difficult one.
“We had a lot of talent, but just didn’t get it done,” he said. “We had a lot of injuries and a lot of young guys had to step up and do what they could.”
Wicks said he sees even more talent this year.
“We had a lot of players gain some experience last year and everybody, except me, is back healthy and that should make a world of difference this year.”
Wicks came to YSU out of Carrick High School in Pittsburgh and was redshirted his first season in 2006. In 2007 he played in all 11 games, starting five at cornerback, including the opener at Ohio State.
He was credited with 41 tackles, 31 of them solos, and had two interceptions. He was special teams player of the game against Ohio State and was named to the Gateway honor roll.
Last season Wicks played in all 11 games and started the first nine at cornerback. He finished with 54 tackles (35 solos), had two pass breakups and one interception. He had a season-high nine tackles against Ohio State and was the defensive player of the game and also recorded the Derek Pixley Hit of the Game against the Buckeyes when he flattened OSU receiver Dane Sanzenbacher.
“Last year we have nobody to blame but ourselves, but I’m looking for things to be much better this year,” Wicks said. “We’ve got a lot of things to prove and nobody really expects us to do much. If we keep working like we are and stay healthy the only thing that could stop us is ourselves.”
Wicks will be on the sidelines again today when the Penguins hold their second and final jersey scrimmage of fall camp. The session will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Stambaugh Stadium. The Penguins will begin classes on Monday and will practice Tuesday through Friday next week at 3:30 p.m.
mollica@vindy.com
GAME TIME YSU football
What: Jersey scrimmage
When: 9:30 a.m. today (the scrimmage was originally scheduled for a 9:50 a.m. start but changed on Thursday).
Inside/C4
More college football including Ohio State finding answers about player positions during today’s jersey scrimmage.