September 14, 1997
GREENVILLE -- Furman University head football coach Bobby Johnson announced today that starting senior quarterback Chris Jonas will be sidelined at least 6-8 weeks after sustaining a sprained left knee in the Paladins' 17-6 loss to South Carolina State on Saturday.
Jonas, a Birmingham, Ala., native who threw for 153 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Paladins' season opening 29-10 win over Samford on Sept. 4, sustained the injury against S.C. State in the game's first offensive series. He is scheduled to be examined by team doctors on Monday and will undergo an MRI exam on either Tuesday or Wednesday, according to head athletic trainer Brian Reese.
"Losing Chris is a big setback to our football team and our offense, and we feel for him because he had worked extremely hard to get into this position," said head coach Bobby Johnson Sunday afternoon. "Injuries, however, are part of the game, and I'm confident that we can be a good offensive football team with either Brent Rickman or Justin Hill as our starting quarterback. We have confidence in both of them."
Rickman, a true freshman from Rome, Ga., replaced Jonas and completed 8-of-31 passes for 66 yards in the loss to S.C. State. Hill, a redshirt freshman from Greer, only last week gained clearance from team doctors to resume throwing at full speed after undergoing shoulder surgery following spring practice.
Furman, now 1-1 on the year, is off next Saturday before returning to action on Sept. 27 against VMI in Greenville.