Sept. 13, 2006
NORMAL, Ill. -
Junior right tackle Jonathan Lyon went down in Illinois State's 18-3 victory over Central Arkansas at home last week and the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) report confirmed that Lyon will miss the rest of the 2006 season with a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee.
The Urbana, Ill., native earned a starting spot this season after serving as a backup in 2005 in eight games for the Redbirds. Head coach Denver Johnson was saddened to hear about Lyon's injury.
"I'm heartbroken for Jon and I know he was looking forward to having good season and I hate for him that it's come to an end," said Johnson. "He worked hard in the off-season and in camp to earn this opportunity. This is a setback for Jon and a setback for us, as we were already thin on the offensive line to begin with. We just feel for Jon and wish him the best in his recovery."
Junior Brandon Joyce replaced Lyon against Central Arkansas and is expected to start this weekend against No. 18 Eastern Illinois at right tackle.
