A 20/20 view of the recovery marks 2021 | John Doherty

If this act sounds familiar to Indiana fans, it should be.

Hoosiers quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffered a cruciate ligament rupture in November 2020 and ended his season prematurely with 1,645 yards, 14 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Notably, he was “ready” to open the 2021 season, but like King and the Hurricanes, Penix and the Hoosiers struggled. On October 2, Penix also suffered an end-of-season shoulder injury that ended with a stat of 939 yards, four TDs, and seven interceptions. Oh, and -1.4 yards per attempt.

Were the shoulder injuries on both quarterbacks the result of a decreased ability to climb?

Undoubtedly, their impaired performance is costing the coaches their job. Hurricanes head coach Manny Diaz and Hoosiers offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan have been sacked. IU head coach Tom Allen was beaten with a $ 200,000 pay cut after his squad started the season – for the first time since 1968 – but ended without a win in the Big 10.

For coaches, sports medicine professionals and athletes alike, the lesson here is focused: Believe the research and set realistic expectations.

Even then, especially in times of COVID-19, expect the unexpected. Earlier this year I warned, “NHL and NBA teams should be prepared for … sudden absences to be as common as they are in the NFL. And they will continue until COVID-19 vaccine availability is widespread, which is unlikely until late spring or early summer.