Penn State linebacker Wartman-White lost for season
It was an eerie sense of deja vu for Penn State middle linebacker Nyeem Wartman-White. A little more than a year ago, Wartman-White was blocking for a punt return in the first half of the Nittany Lions' season opener against Temple at Lincoln Financial Field and stayed down. The diagnosis was a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and he missed the rest of the season.
It was an eerie sense of deja vu for Penn State middle linebacker Nyeem Wartman-White.
A little more than a year ago, Wartman-White was blocking for a punt return in the first half of the Nittany Lions' season opener against Temple at Lincoln Financial Field and stayed down. The diagnosis was a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and he missed the rest of the season.
Then on Saturday, it was another game against Temple, another punt return in the first half, and another possibly shattering outcome to his season. Wartman-White fell to the turf without contact and his afternoon was finished.
Penn State coach James Franklin confirmed the worst Tuesday, saying that Wartman-White would miss the rest of the season. He did not disclose the nature of the injury.
"I feel for Nyeem because he's had two years in a row now where he's missed the season," Franklin said at his weekly teleconference. "He has worked really, really hard and has had an unbelievable attitude from a leadership standpoint. So that's always difficult in a position where we are already thin as it is. So obviously we're here to support Nyeem every step of the way."
In an interview before the start of training camp, Wartman-White, a redshirt senior who grew up in Philadelphia and still has family in the city, said he refused to let his bad luck affect others last season.
"I could have acted like it was me against the world when I got hurt ... I didn't want to be that guy," he said.
From all indications, another crushing football-related disappointment for Wartman-White won't spill over to his teammates this season, either.
"I saw him in the training room a couple of times but he had a smile on his face," said Brandon Smith, who replaced Wartman-White in the middle last week.
"You know Nyeem's a great guy and he's going to keep working hard. He's going to stay committed. He's going to be a part of this team and be there and encourage guys. He's a selfless guy and you know he's going to keep being around and be a vocal leader on this team."
In his last full season with the Nittany Lions in 2014, Wartman-White was second on the team in tackles.
Franklin said he was hopeful that the injury Saturday wasn't as bad as first feared. Wartman-White got to his feet and actually jogged several steps without an apparent limp before heading to the bench.
However, after further examination by team medical officials, the word wasn't good.
"Myself, the doctors and Nyeem, we thought at first that he was more or less kind of scared that something had happened, but it really didn't," he said. "When he hopped up and kind of jogged around, we thought he was OK. But it didn't play out that way, obviously. So he's got another setback in front of him."
Wartman-White's departure last week meant that reserves manned all three linebacker spots for Penn State - Smith, Manny Bowen and former Archbishop Wood star Jake Cooper. The Lions' other two injured starters, Brandon Bell (Oakcrest) and Jason Cabinda, were not listed Tuesday on the depth chart for the Michigan game, suggesting they may not play against the Wolverines in the Big Ten opener for both schools.
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