Brats & Beer

Taking A Shot On Lumpkin

Ted Thompson is not one to shy away from gambling on young players who have bounced back from injuries. Last year’s #1 draft pick Justin Harrell had missed most of his senior year after suffering a ruptured biceps tendon, and Ryan Grant missed his second year in the pros with the Giants after his arm was sliced open in an accident, severing a tendon and a nerve and nearly bleeding to death.

And then there’s Kregg Lumpkin, a rookie free agent running back out of Georgia the Packers signed yesterday. Lumpkin was a top prospect coming out of high school but was slowed by a hamstring injury his freshman year. A torn ACL wiped out his next season of college football, but he managed to come back play as a backup for the Bulldogs in 2005 and started nine games in 2006. A probable starter for last year, Lumpkin suffered a broken thumb and then a knee injury kept him from all but six games.

Here’s what separates me from professional athletes: I would have given up at some point and switched to a career that didn’t involve a torn this and a strained that. Lumpkin certainly has a lot of determination to play football, and I’m guessing that’s why TT decided to take a chance on the kid.

As much as I like the other running backs already on the Packer roster, I think I’ll be rooting for Lumpkin to make the team — and for him to stay healthy.