Oregon Ducks free safety John Boyett is done for the year. He will require surgery on patella tendon tears on both of his legs, and then he will undergo a six-month rehab process that will definitely end his 2012 campaign with the Ducks.
Boyett's career as a Duck could very well be over. Boyett is currently a fifth-year senior, and it's unclear whether he will apply for a medical redshirt season or declare for the 2013 NFL Draft.
Here is what Boyett had to say about his injury:
Boyett read from a prepared statement Sunday, saying: "I’ve had a lingering injury that I played through all last year. The hope was, through different treatments and certain types of rehab during this past offseason, they would heal up and I’d be ready to go for my senior year. But unfortunately, it didn’t work out as planned. I’ve been dealing with a tremendous amount of pain for a long time. At this time, I’m not able to play up to this level that I want to. Five different specialists from around the country have reviewed my MRIs and at this time surgery is needed. The operation is scheduled for Wednesday and the rehab process to get back to 100 percent is approximately six months. It’s a very difficult decision. I have tremendous teammates and made many friends at the university. I’ve grown tremendously as a player and as a person, working under my great defensive back coach, Coach John Neal and the defensive coordinator, Nick Aliotti, who recruited me to the University of Oregon."
Boyett will be replaced by Avery Patterson for the near future, although it's hard to see Oregon's secondary not being significantly impacted with the captain of their defense on the sidelines. Boyett was the team's leading tackler last season and was a rock in the backline of the Ducks. Although Oregon is very talented in their front seven, their secondary suddenly becomes a little bit more of a question mark with Boyett missing.
For more on Boyett and Ducks football, visit Oregon blog Addicted To Quack, plus Pac-12 blog Pacific Takes.