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Iowa's Hampton to start in season opener
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Hawkeye nation can breathe again - Jewel Hampton's knee is good to go.
Gary Dolphin of 1040 WHO Radio reported today that Iowa's starting running back will not need to undergo surgery for a knee injury he sustained during non-contact drills last Friday. The severity of the injury was initially unclear, though the lack of confirmed information didn't prevent exaggerated rumors and false speculation from spreading on popular Iowa message boards, with many believing it was a torn anterior cruciate ligament that likely would have cost Hampton the entire 2009 season.
The dismay, misery and remorse ravaging the minds of Hawkeyes fans went to the wayside this morning, after head coach Kirk Ferentz assured Dolphin that Hampton's injury will not require surgery, and that he will be in the starting lineup when Iowa opens the season against Northern Iowa on Sept. 5. Ferentz did not expound on the extent of the injury, but compared it to one that caused former Iowa tight end Dallas Clark to miss one month during the 2006 season.
After a phenomal freshman season in which Hampton racked up 463 yards and seven touchdowns on 91 carries, he became the heir apparent to replace Shonn Greene, mollifying worries that Iowa's potent rushing attack would greatly suffer from the departure of the Doak Walker winner.
So Hawkeyes fans can now safely return to predicting a momentous season in 2009, with Hampton undoubtedly rushing for 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns en route to winning the Heisman by some 500 votes.
