A New Twist: Pollard Injured at Practice

A few days ago, Coach Pete Carroll happily noted that his team had made it through recent weeks of practice without injury. That lucky streak might have ended when middle linebacker Mike Pollard twisted a knee during USC’s first practice here Friday.

Pollard said only “I’ll be all right” as he limped off the field at Nevada Las Vegas.

Otherwise, Carroll proclaimed it a good practice and said he was relieved his team had finally reconvened after 24 hours in which the players could do pretty much as they pleased in Las Vegas. “I was kind of like a concerned father when the kids are out,” Carroll said.

While numerous players stayed out late cruising the Strip on Thursday, team officials said no one got into trouble. The team is now subject to regular meetings throughout the day and evening, though curfew remained a relatively late 1 a.m.

“Guys were having fun,” said quarterback Carson Palmer, who wanted a little more structure if only because he lost $150 gambling. “Now it’s time to focus.”

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Much attention has been paid to Brigham Young and its mature players, the ones who take a break from college football to go on a Mormon mission, then return to their team older and wiser. Utah has several such players too. But they don’t buy the argument that older is necessarily better.

Linebacker Sheldon Deckart served his mission in a poor area of the Philippines where he reportedly ate stewed dog and duck eggs. He returned 40 pounds under his playing weight.

Quarterback Lance Rice, a 23-year-old sophomore, had it no better on the Yucatan Peninsula.

“On your mission, you don’t have time to work out,” he said. “You come back and you’re so much weaker. You’ve been walking for two years but in terms of running and jumping, it takes a while to get back in the groove. It took me nine months to get my leg strength back.”

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Several USC players recovering from injuries--defensive tackle Shaun Cody, offensive lineman Norm Katnik and receiver Keary Colbert--made it through a full practice Friday. Carroll said he plans to start Katnik at guard.