Ryan Claridge expected to miss 12 weeks

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, July 30, 2002 | 9:42 a.m.

CORONADO ISLAND, Calif. --- Linebacker Ryan Claridge was supposed to be joining buddy Jason Thomas in representing UNLV at today's Mountain West Conference Media Day festivities at the Coronado Island Marriott Hotel near San Diego.

But senior tailback Joe Haro took Claridge's place in the spotlight. Now the question is who will take Claridge's place on the field?

Rebel head coach John Robinson confirmed that Claridge, a preseason first team all-Mountain West Conference pick who finished second in the nation in forced fumbles a year ago with six, will likely miss the first month of the season with an abdominal muscle strain.

"I think the bad news is he'll be out about 12 weeks," Robinson said. "The good news is he could be back in about six or seven weeks. We might get him back after three games. Or he might redshirt. It could be that bad."

Robinson compared the injury to one that Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal suffered a few years ago that caused him to miss several months of the regular season.

"We sent him to a specialist in Vancouver (physical therapist Alex McKechnie) who also treated O'Neal," Robinsaon said. "He put Ryan on a rehab program. How long he stays out depends on how quickly he rehabs. The guy said it could be anywhere from eight to 12 weeks. That was about 10 days ago.

"My guess is Ryan won't play against Wisconsin. We'll probably have a better idea of just how long he'll be out in mid-August."

Using a 12-week timetable, Claridge wouldn't be ready to play until the annual Fremont Cannon battle against Nevada-Reno Oct. 5 at Sam Boyd Stadium.

A second team all-MWC pick as a sophomore after finishing second on the team with 71 tackles, Claridge, sophomore middle linebacker Adam Seward and senior outside linebacker Tyrone Tucker, a transfer from Iowa State, were expected to be the strength of a rebuilt Rebel defense that lost four players to the NFL last spring.

Claridge was supposed to man the weakside linebacker position that Shanga Wilson has played the last two years. Tosh Burrus, who backed up that position last season, had to quit football last spring because of a neck injury. So Claridge was moved to outside linebacker to try to fill that void.

Now what?

"The plan all along was to move Derek Olsen there," Robinson said of the 6-foot-3, 205-pound junior strong safety and special teams star from Indian Springs High School. "It's a speed linebacker position and he has had some success there. Billy Cofer has improved a lot and is the kind of maniac type of player you want in that position. It's a position that's unblocked where you get a chance to do something."

Still, if Claridge can't play this season, it will be a huge loss to UNLV's defense.

"We seem to keep getting hit in the same spot," Robinson said. "Hopefully, Ryan's rehab will go well and he will come back and play for us this season."