Looks like McFadden will stay underrated for a while.
sportsline
Hogs' McFadden hurts toe in bar fight, likely out vs. Southern Cal
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. --
Arkansas' football season is off to a difficult start -- and the Razorbacks' first game is still a month away.
Darren McFadden, the dynamic running back who was the 2005 SEC Freshman of the Year, had surgery Saturday morning for a dislocated toe -- after a police report says he was involved in a fight outside a Little Rock, Ark., club. The Razorbacks said McFadden is doubtful for the team's season opener against Southern California on Sept. 2.
"We are all disappointed that Darren won't be able to join us for the start of fall camp," coach Houston Nutt said in a statement. "I know that no one is more disappointed with what has happened than Darren. While we are still gathering details about how the injury came about, our first priority is to help him with his recovery."
Players report for preseason camp Thursday, and practice starts Saturday. Arkansas trainer Dean Weber said McFadden will not practice for several weeks.
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McFadden was a first-team all-SEC pick in '05 with 1,113 yards and 11 TDs. (Getty Images) </TD><TD width=15> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>According to a police report, McFadden was involved in a disturbance at 4:20 a.m. Saturday at Palace the Club, a private club in Little Rock. When officers arrived, a fight was taking place in the parking lot while a crowd watched. McFadden told officers he didn't know the person he was fighting with, the report said.
Sgt. James Lesher of the Little Rock Police Department said the car McFadden's stepbrother was driving was stolen while the fight was going on.
"Apparently it was a mess," Lesher said. "It looks like they had a crowd control problem as well during all of this. And of course during the fight, they had left the car running with the keys in it, and somebody jumped in and took off."
Lesher said the car was found later in the morning. He said nobody was arrested, and although the investigation of the stolen car continues, he doesn't expect McFadden to be charged in connection with the fight.
"There probably will not be anything else with that," Lesher said.
The Razorbacks said McFadden dislocated a joint in his left big toe and had surgery in Little Rock to repair the capsule surrounding the joint. A small pin was also inserted into the joint to stabilize it.
McFadden was first-team all-SEC last year after rushing for 1,113 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was the seventh freshman in Southeastern Conference history to run for 1,000 yards.
While the Razorbacks' passing game struggled, McFadden provided a big-play threat on the ground. He scored on 70-yard runs against both Alabama and Georgia.
And he did all that despite a small cartilage tear in his left knee from the preseason. He had arthroscopic surgery shortly after Arkansas' final game.
This year, McFadden was expected to be a major part of new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn's plans. But if he's out for an extended period of time, the Razorbacks have other running backs they can turn to. Felix Jones rushed for 626 yards last year as a freshman, and Peyton Hillis added 315.
Michael Smith, a 5-foot-7 redshirt freshman, will also compete for carries.
The club where McFadden was found was shut down in December of 2004 when a judge ordered it closed. Two people were killed there in 2004, and police responded to over 30 crimes or other incidents at the club that year.
It was allowed to open again the following January after the owner promised to increase security and provide additional parking.
