August 25, 1998
PULLMAN, Wash. -- Washington State redshirt freshman Tupo Tuupo, a projected
starter at middle linebacker, is expected to miss at least the next eight
weeks of the season with a shoulder injury he sustained during the first
fall scrimmage August 17.
A MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) taken of Tuupo's left shoulder Tuesday
morning showed a fractured scapula according to Mark Smaha, WSU's director
for athletic medicine. X-rays taken immediately after Tuupo injured the
shoulder did not reveal the fracture. Smaha said he has seen only three
such fractures in the last 30 years, the last involving former Cougar
running back Kerry Porter in 1984.
"It's good from the standpoint that we know what's wrong with Tupo's injury
and we know it's going to heal," said head coach Mike Price. "It's bad
because the healing process is going to take longer than we originally
thought. We'd love to have Tupo in there, but we're doing fine."
