SEATTLE — It was the last thing a coach wants to see this time of year.
Midway through Saturday afternoon’s practice at the University of Washington’s indoor Dempsey Center, wide receiver Jordan Polk went down hard and was writhing on the ground while clutching his left leg.
Fortunately for the UW football team, the injury might not be as serious as it appeared. Head coach Steve Sarkisian said afterward that Polk should recover quickly.
“I think he’ll be OK,” Sarkisian said. “It’s his hamstring, but more than anything he got stepped on. So it should be OK.”
Polk got tangled up with cornerback Anthony Boyles as a deep pass was thrown in their direction. Upon hitting the turf, Polk immediately grabbed his leg and had to be helped off the field by two team trainers while keeping weight off his left leg.
Polk did not return to practice.
Receiver D’Andre Goodwin was also hobbled by a sore hamstring Saturday, while sophomore safety Justin Glenn sat out the session while recovering from an ankle injury that forced him to miss the final seven games of the 2009 season.
Glenn, a Kamiak High School product, had participated in the first two practices of the spring before watching Saturday’s session.
“We’re not trying to push guys too fast,” Sarkisian said. “We want them to practice, but we need them at the end — not right now. We’re getting him in as much as we can, but I need him when the season rolls around.”
From one quarterback to another?
Among the people who attended Saturday’s practice was Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart, who was in town because a girl he is dating lives in the area.
Leinart, who won a Heisman Trophy while Sarkisian was his position coach at USC, shared a few minutes with his former coach before meeting Jake Locker for the first time.
“He’s one of those guys who’ve been through it,” Locker said after practice, “one of those now playing at the next level, so it’s just getting a chance to talk to them and get familiar with them a little bit. So when you run into him, or the next time he comes up, you learn as much as you can with those guys.”
Bringing it in
The Huskies moved their practice indoors because of the threat of rain.
While working inside the Dempsey Center, they had their biggest crowd of the spring.
The UW baseball and softball teams were both playing within a quarter mile of the indoor practice field, so several fans wandered in and out throughout Saturday afternoon.
Quick slants
The transition of Clarence Trent from the basketball court to the football field is a work in progress. The freshman defensive end, who didn’t play football in high school, is struggling to learn the game after three practices. … Sarkisian continues to praise the play of freshmen running backs Deontae Cooper and Jesse Callier while starter Chris Polk nurses a shoulder injury.
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