Treadway in danger of missing college start
Published 8:10 pm Monday, August 29, 2016
- Lamar senior right guard Bret Treadway has not missed a start in his college career, but he possibly will sit out Saturday’s season opener against Coastal Carolina. (I.C. Murrell/The News)
BEAUMONT — Lamar has two preseason All-America football players on its roster, Kade Harrington and Bret Treadway. But on Saturday, one of them will probably miss a start for the first time in his collegiate career.
Coach Ray Woodard said at his first press conference of the season that Treadway, the right guard from Silsbee, has not practiced since sometime last week while dealing with mononucleosis. Treadway could miss Saturday’s season opener at home against Coastal Carolina, which would end his string of 35 straight starts.
Woodard still likes the depth of his offensive line, which includes junior center Matthew Oubre (who started all 11 games in 2015) and freshmen Corey Nance and Jesse Brewster, the latter two listed on the second string.
“We’re deeper than we’ve been,” Woodard said about his entire team. “Offensive line-wise, this two-deep is as experienced as we’ve been. They’re interchangeable and there’s not any dropoff.”
That was when he announced Treadway was battling mononucleosis.
“How much strength he’ll have by Saturday, we’ll see,” Woodard said.
Woodard added Treadway would have to pass a test on his spleen before he can be cleared to practice.
Treadway was named third-team All-American by College Sports Madness and STATS LLC, while running back Harrington earned first-team honors by both media outlets. His absence would mean sophomore Kanon Mackey will start at right guard.
But not having Treadway would be huge for a Cardinals team that is hosting a perennial power in the Football Championship Subdivision that is in transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision and Sun Belt Conference. Ranked 16th in the STATS FCS preseason poll, Coastal upgraded from the FCS-maximum 63 scholarships to the FBS-max 85, making the Chanticleers ineligible for the playoffs. They can compete for a Sun Belt title in 2017 but not compete in a bowl game as part of the transition.
Lamar received 28 voting points in the poll, which would be good for 43rd.
Center Kyle Gilliam (2010-13) started every game during his Lamar career, so far the only other player to do so since the Cardinals relaunched football in 2010.
I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews
About I.C. Murrell
I.C. Murrell was promoted to editor of The News, effective Oct. 14, 2019. He previously served as sports editor since August 2015 and has won or shared eight first-place awards from state newspaper associations and corporations. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, grew up mostly in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
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