Football: Agent disputes severity of Ikegwuonu's knee injury

Cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu suffered a torn ACL during a workout on Tuesday, but his agent disputed early reports it would cause the former University of Wisconsin standout to miss the upcoming football season.

Agent Drew Rosehnaus said late Thursday night that Ikegwuonu would undergo surgery in the next two weeks and claimed he would be ready for training camp with an NFL team.

"All the other ligaments are strong and in place," Rosenhaus said. "He does not need surgery on anything other than the ACL. ... All this doom and gloom, I believe, is not valid."

Dr. John Uribe, who is the team doctor for the University of Miami, will perform the surgery.

"Through rigorous rehab, he will be running — if not full speed — before the draft," Rosenhaus said. "There's no question he'll be ready for training camp."

Uribe also performed the surgery on another Rosenhaus client, running back Willis McGahee, a former Hurricanes standout who suffered a serious knee injury in his final college game in January 2003.

Rosenhaus predicted McGahee still would be a first-round pick in the next draft and that's what happened. The Buffalo Bills took McGahee with the 23rd pick overall.

"I'm still projecting, because of (Ikegwuonu's) age (22) and the way guys come back from these injuries ... the type of people we have working with him are the exact same people that worked with Willis McGahee, a first-round pick and first player drafted at his position," Rosenhaus said. "I'm not going to project that for Jack but I will tell you, I still think he's going to be drafted in the early rounds."

Ikegwuonu was working out at Perfect Competition, a training facility in Davie, Fla., for the NFL draft, which will be April 26-27.

He made himself eligible for the draft earlier this month, leaving UW after his junior season, and signed with Rosenhaus on Jan. 5.

Ikegwuonu was pulling a sled, in a drill designed to improve his speed, when the injury occurred.

He exploded out of a start and planted his leg when the knee gave way.

"I blame the agent for telling him to come out, when we told him to stay in," an NFL scout said.

Rosenhaus said Ikegwuonu still plans to attend next month's scouting combine in Indianapolis, where teams will be able to interview him.

Ikegwuonu also will attend the re-check for injured players a month later.

"Jack will be at both," Rosenhaus said. "He will have an opportunity to visit teams, which we will set up for him. We also anticipate, just like we did for Willis, before the draft, staging a workout.

"Exactly what Jack will be able to do, we're not positive. He will work out for teams before the draft, in some capacity, whether it's jogging or running. I'm not saying he'll be sprinting at that time."

Rosenhaus said, prior to the injury, a "number of teams" told him Ikegwuonu had a chance of going in the first round, "if he ran as fast as people projected him."

"Certainly, I had teams telling me on their draft boards, he was no worse than a second-round pick," Rosenhaus said.

The scout said Ikegwuonu now would be a late-round pick or a free agent. But Rosenhaus said his client could still be taken in the first three rounds.

"I do think it's a possibility," Rosenhaus said. "By the time the draft rolls around, people are going to be able to see he's healthy. He wasn't eligible (as a junior) to play in any (all-star) games. The only thing he's going to miss is the combine.

"But Jack's athletic ability and his film speaks for itself. Because he's a cover man, an elite one, he still has a chance to be a very high pick."

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