Penn State's Beachum undergoes surgery

Running back Brandon Beachum underwent surgery Monday for a broken left ankle sustained late in Penn State's 45-7 loss at Wisconsin on Saturday, Penn State announced Monday afternoon. It's a tough break for the injury-riddled Beachum, a senior whose collegiate career now appears to be over.

Rehabilitation for the ankle will take four-to-six months, according to Wayne Sebastianelli, Penn State's Director of Athletic Medicine.

The injury occurred when Saturday's game was all-but decided, on the first play of a drive that started with 1:04 left in the game. Beachum caught a nine-yard pass from quarterback Rob Bolden but then needed help coming off the field.

Saturday marked at least the third time Beachum suffered an injury at Penn State.

In Nov. 2009, the 6-foot, 230-pound back from Youngstown, Ohio tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee. He missed the rest of that season and the entire 2010 season. He returned to the field this season but sprained his foot during the week of practice leading up to the Sept. 24 game against Eastern Michigan, causing him to miss three games.

Beachum is expected to graduate in December, and though he has an extra year of eligibility after redshirting in 2010, he does not plan to come back to play in 2012. A backup to Silas Redd this season, Beachum finishes his career with 361 yards on 86 rushes (4.2 yards per carry) to along with two touchdowns.

--Jake Kaplan