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The senior co-captain has been playing this season with a chronic tear in his left patellar tendon and will have surgery as early as this Thursday. It’s the same injury that required surgery to repair on June 30, 2009. However, Johnson missed the entire 2009 season after a blood clot developed in his leg following the surgery.
Baldwin said Johnson and EWU will appeal to the NCAA in the offseason to grant him a sixth year to complete his four years of eligibility. He will eventually have at least 19 games wiped out because of injuries -- 12 in 2009 and seven remaining regular season games this year.
“He just needs to get it done,” said Baldwin of the surgery. “The silver lining is that he has a very good possibility of getting a sixth year and playing next season. I know he’s going to continue to be a great captain this season by encouraging and helping his teammates.”
Although he played sparingly last Saturday (Sept. 24) against Montana State and had only one tackle, through four games he is tied for the team lead in tackles with 30. He has started all 30 games he has played as an Eagle, with 260 career tackles to rank 10th in school history. A second-team All-Big Sky Conference selection in 2010 and a preseason All-American this season, Johnson’s average of 8.7 tackles per game is fourth-best in school history.
Baldwin said Johnson will probably be replaced in the starting lineup by sophomore Grant Williams at EWU’s weak-side linebacker position. Senior Bobby Gentry would have probably started in place of Johnson, but he suffered a biceps injury versus MSU and is questionable this week.
Johnson’s injury is the latest blow to the 0-4 Eagles, who have already have five offensive linemen miss playing time because of injuries. At least two of them have been lost for the season.
--From Eastern Washington University
