NDSUstudent
08-16-2006, 12:55 AM
MISSOULA - University of Montana senior halfback Lex Hilliard sustained a serious foot injury in practice Monday that will force him to miss the 2006 season.
The injury will require surgery, according to a UM sports information release.
Hilliard - who played as a true freshman - will redshirt this season.
“We’re very disappointed for Lex Hilliard,” said fourth-year Griz head coach Bobby Hauck. “For him to lose his senior season, especially one that he has prepared so hard for, is a hard pill to swallow. It’s difficult to put into words just how bad that myself, our coaches and our players feel for Lex.
“Obviously it is a tremendous loss to our football team and certainly puts a damper on our championship aspirations since we lost our best player for the season,” Hauck said.
Hilliard - a 6-0, 228-pounder from Kalispell - is ranked second in Montana history with 2,884 career rushing yards. He has rushed for 34 career touchdowns. He has been a unanimous first team All-Big Sky Conference selection the past two seasons.
Last season he rushed for 1,322 yards, the second most in single-season history at UM, and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award given annually to Division I-AA’s offensive player of the year.”
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/08/15/web/websports/ws45.txt
Tough loss for Montana because this guy was one of the best in the country, UC Davis has also lost their starting RB to injury.
The injury will require surgery, according to a UM sports information release.
Hilliard - who played as a true freshman - will redshirt this season.
“We’re very disappointed for Lex Hilliard,” said fourth-year Griz head coach Bobby Hauck. “For him to lose his senior season, especially one that he has prepared so hard for, is a hard pill to swallow. It’s difficult to put into words just how bad that myself, our coaches and our players feel for Lex.
“Obviously it is a tremendous loss to our football team and certainly puts a damper on our championship aspirations since we lost our best player for the season,” Hauck said.
Hilliard - a 6-0, 228-pounder from Kalispell - is ranked second in Montana history with 2,884 career rushing yards. He has rushed for 34 career touchdowns. He has been a unanimous first team All-Big Sky Conference selection the past two seasons.
Last season he rushed for 1,322 yards, the second most in single-season history at UM, and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award given annually to Division I-AA’s offensive player of the year.”
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/08/15/web/websports/ws45.txt
Tough loss for Montana because this guy was one of the best in the country, UC Davis has also lost their starting RB to injury.