http://goeags.com/sports/m-footbl/2009- ... JohnsonOutA blood clot that developed following knee surgery last summer has forced returning starter Zach Johnson to miss the entire 2009 season, and his twin brother Matt Johnson will wear Zach's No. 10 jersey in honor of his fallen teammate, Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin has announced.
The blood clot developed before the start of preseason practices in August, and although he has been on blood thinners ever since, it didn't dissipate enough to allow the middle linebacker to practice or play during the first four games of the 2009 season for the 17th-ranked Eagles. A mid-October return date was originally expected for the preseason All-Big Sky Conference selection, but doctors and EWU athletic trainers determined this week that for precautionary reasons he should miss the entire season.
This fuckin' sucks. For Zach, for Matt, and for the entire team. Zach and Matt were 1 and 2 in tackles on the season last year. This is a big blow for our defense. We've been playing the last 4 games without him, but we were going to really need him in this stretch coming up against Weber, Montana and Montana State.
