By Heath A. Smith, DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
Defensive tackle Demetris Lane broke the index finger in his right hand during Saturday's scrimmage.
Lane, a redshirt-sophomore out of Edward Pace High School in Hollywood, is wearing a cast and has not been in practice the past two days.
FAMU head football coach Rubin Carter said he expected Lane to return to practice soon and should be ready for the Sept. 2 season opener against Southern.
"He is going to be OK," Carter said. "He just had to get used to the cast. He's running and getting himself ready to play again."
Lane was a part-time starter in 2006 and is expected to start along side sophomore Cameron Houston in the middle of the defensive line this season.
Lane brings size to the line at 6-2, 295 pounds and will be expected to help improve FAMU's run defense this season.
Lane is just one of a handful of potential starters that have missed practice during camp because of injuries. Linebacker Michael McMillan, running backs Anthony Edwards and Demitric Henry, linebacker Dannel Shepard, and offensive linemen Anthony Collins and Robert Okeafor are among the potential starters that have been banged up during camp.
Carter said he was confident that most, if not at all, of those players should be able to play in the season opener.
"We don't have any severe injuries," Carter said. "I believe that most of them will have a chance to heal over the next few days and be ready for our first contest."
Gearing down
Defensive tackle Demetris Lane broke the index finger in his right hand during Saturday's scrimmage.
Lane, a redshirt-sophomore out of Edward Pace High School in Hollywood, is wearing a cast and has not been in practice the past two days.
FAMU head football coach Rubin Carter said he expected Lane to return to practice soon and should be ready for the Sept. 2 season opener against Southern.
"He is going to be OK," Carter said. "He just had to get used to the cast. He's running and getting himself ready to play again."
Lane was a part-time starter in 2006 and is expected to start along side sophomore Cameron Houston in the middle of the defensive line this season.
Lane brings size to the line at 6-2, 295 pounds and will be expected to help improve FAMU's run defense this season.
Lane is just one of a handful of potential starters that have missed practice during camp because of injuries. Linebacker Michael McMillan, running backs Anthony Edwards and Demitric Henry, linebacker Dannel Shepard, and offensive linemen Anthony Collins and Robert Okeafor are among the potential starters that have been banged up during camp.
Carter said he was confident that most, if not at all, of those players should be able to play in the season opener.
"We don't have any severe injuries," Carter said. "I believe that most of them will have a chance to heal over the next few days and be ready for our first contest."
Gearing down
Carter said he will hold the team's last two-a-day practice of camp today. With the season opener less than two weeks a way, Carter said it was time to start scaling back on the practicing.
"We have one more two-a-day session (today) and then we gear it down a bit," Carter said. "At that point we want to concentrate on getting the players' legs back. They have fought through it to this point and I think they have done an excellent job.
"It was a good-spirited practice today. Of course, this was practice No. 20. We're headed toward the end of camp, which is always when it gets tougher."
The other guy
Overshadowed by Michael Creary's rise from walk-on to All-MEAC preseason selection at cornerback has been the play of sophomore cornerback Donavan Johnson.
Like Creary, Johnson also walked on to the team as a true freshman last year and ended up playing in 10 games. Johnson, who came to FAMU out of Miami Washington High School, is expected to start this season at cornerback opposite Creary.
"I got challenged more at the beginning of camp," said Johnson, who came up with an interception at Tuesday's practice. "They are not going at me as much now. I had to make a name for myself. I'm getting better as the days go on. I push myself to work harder. Mike pushes me to work harder."
Like Creary, Johnson also walked on to the team as a true freshman last year and ended up playing in 10 games. Johnson, who came to FAMU out of Miami Washington High School, is expected to start this season at cornerback opposite Creary.
"I got challenged more at the beginning of camp," said Johnson, who came up with an interception at Tuesday's practice. "They are not going at me as much now. I had to make a name for myself. I'm getting better as the days go on. I push myself to work harder. Mike pushes me to work harder."
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