AU FOOTBALL: Trott on schedule after knee surgery

Before November 2008, the only “real” injury Tommy Trott could recall was a broken collarbone he suffered in the seventh grade.

Right around Christmas time one month later, the senior tight end was almost stubbornly relying on crutches as his primary mode of transportation.

“I could not walk on it to save my life,” Trott said. “Finally they just took my crutches from me and said, ‘You know, you’re going to have to learn to walk if you want to go anywhere.’”

A “few stumbles” later, Trott was on his way to a blazing start to his recovery process from a complete shredding of his left knee.

Trott was on the practice fields Tuesday in an orange non-contact jersey, but he still wasn’t doing much. He might as well be wearing an orange jumpsuit for the rest of spring practice because he won’t be anywhere near contact.

But that won’t be the case in August. Trott said his rehabilitation process should be complete within the standard six-month parameter thanks to a strong start that should be enough to overcome a little tendinitis he recently suffered.

“I’m probably right where I need to be,” Trott said. “They didn’t want to rush it, didn’t want me to get out on the field and get it hurt again and be out for the fall.”

In Auburn’s second-to-last game of 2008 against Georgia, a series of three hits in the first quarter ultimately led to Trott’s shredded anterior cruciate ligament. The outlook was grim almost instantly, and Trott went under the knife within a week.

Renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews took a graft of Trott’s patella tendon to repair the ACL. He also had to mend up Trott’s partially torn medial collateral ligament by shaving his meniscus back a bit.

“They got my knee pretty good,” Trott said.

Trott’s rehab began even before the surgery and has continued twice a day, five times a week. After being “way ahead of schedule,” Trott said the knee started to hurt more than it should.

Because of that, Trott will just have to settle for being normal instead of overcoming presumed medical odds.

“I’ve never been hurt like this before,” Trott said. “I’ll be honest. It’s different not being out on that field.”

But Trott has been and will continue to be on the field.

There are “little drills” Trott will participate in, he said, such as breaking off from the line of scrimmage and fine-tuning his releases under Gus Malzahn’s offense.

The rest of time on the field will be spent performing the always-enjoyable “mental reps.”

“It takes a whole lot more focus to sit back there knowing that you’re really not going to run the real rep,” Trott said. “So you’ve actually got to pay close attention, not only to what the guys in front of you are doing, but what the coach is telling you to do.”

Trott said he’s spent most of the spring learning how to run better routes with wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor. Once fall camp rolls around, Trott will bounce between Taylor and tight ends coach Jay Boulware.

By then, it’s hoped, Trott will have just the long scar running down the center of his knee to remind him of his nasty knee injury.

“I’m probably a week ahead still,” Trott said. “I’m doing all right.”

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