It was a day of second chances for a pair of Huskies football players. A day after being dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules, running back Willis Wilson and tight end Josh Perkins were back at practice.
“We gathered some more information on the situation and it felt like the right thing to do,” UW coach Steve Sarkisian said.
Sarkisian didn’t specify what the situation was, but he said bringing the players back was something the team thought was right.
“We met with some of the team leaders … and they felt like it was the right thing to do,” he said.
Both players were heavily involved in practice, working with the No. 2 offense.
Wilson, a standout running back at Lakes, had several carries and receptions out of the backfield.
With Deontae Cooper injured, Wilson and Dezden Petty are just behind Jesse Callier and Bishop Sankey in competition to replace Chris Polk as the starting tailback.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins had the night off from team drills, so Perkins and Alec Kimble, who was recently converted from defensive end to tight end, got plenty of work in 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 drills. Perkins had a handful of catches, including a nice leaping grab on a pass from Cyler Miles.
“I think they are thankful for the opportunity to be back,” Sarkisian said. “And I think their teammates are happy to have them back.”
SURGERIES FOR JOHNSON, KEARSE
The Huskies will be without the services of wide receiver James Johnson and linebacker Jamaal Kearse for at least a month if not longer. Both players had surgery and will be out at least four to six weeks, Sarkisian said.
Johnson, who was expected to start at wide receiver and be a major contributor, suffered a dislocated wrist Wednesday. The surgery revealed torn ligaments in the wrist, which were also repaired.
Kearse, from Lakes High, had surgery to repair a stress fracture in his tibia. He started four games last season at linebacker and was a major contributor on special teams. With the many injuries at the position, he was likely to see some early playing time.
ryan.divish@thenewstribune.com
http://blog.thenewstribune.com/uwsports
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