Antonio Coleman's injury brings quick end to Auburn football scrimmageSunday, March 02, 2008CHARLES GOLDBERGNews staff writer AUBURN - Auburn's first spring football scrimmage came to an abrupt end Saturday with a defensive end falling to the turf motionless - an ambulance on the field to take him away. It also featured an already-depleted running back corps suffering another injury and a quarterback and wide receiver out indefinitely with injuries of their own. On a weekend of potential setbacks, the Tigers walked away with some good news, though. School officials said Antonio Coleman, who was whisked away by ambulance from Jordan-Hare Stadium, was declared on the road to recovery some two hours after a concerned coach Tommy Tuberville immediately ended practice following the injury. The school said Coleman had full use of his extremities after suffering a cervical sprain and he is expected to make a full recovery. He walked out of the East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika. Coleman's injury was one of several over a tough first week of spring practice for the Tigers. Tailback Mario Fannin suffered a dislocated shoulder and will be re-examined this week. Quarterback Chris Todd was put on the shelf at midweek with a sore shoulder, wide receiver Tim Hawthorne suffered a broken arm in Friday's practice, and rookie quarterback DeRon Furr suffered a shoulder injury in the scrimmage. The Tigers held out running backs Ben Tate (sprained ankle) and Tristan Davis (sore foot). Among the healthy, quarterback Kodi Burns turned in a solid performance, and wide receivers Terrell Zachery and Robert Dunn combined for 17 catches. The Tigers scored five offensive touchdowns in the 126-play scrimmage. On the injury front, Hawthorne will miss the rest of the spring, much like he did last year after he was involved in a car wreck. Coleman's return is uncertain. Coleman's injury occurred after getting tangled up with offensive lineman Lee Ziemba before and after the whistle. Coleman dropped to the ground after the play. The players quietly huddled afterwards. "All I saw was him go down and I didn't see any emotions on his face," said offensive lineman Byron Isom. "I said a prayer real quick because I wouldn't wish that on anyone. He was screaming at first. After that, he got real quiet. His breathing was really fast. I think he was more just shocked and nervous." Other scrimmage notes: Fannin's injury left Auburn with only one healthy tailback in Brad Lester. Ben Tate, who has a sore ankle, and Tristan Davis, who has a sore foot, missed the scrimmage. Offensive coordinator Tony Franklin said he thought Furr suffered a joint sprain in his shoulder and hoped he could pass next week. Todd has a shoulder problem, too, and his return is uncertain. Furr didn't seem any worse for wear Saturday, however, especially after playing in Jordan-Hare just two months after arriving on campus. "It felt real good. I had just watched them play on TV on this same field. It was like, `Dang!' All the jitters went away after a while," he said. Franklin liked the way Burns handled himself at quarterback. "I thought Kodi was very productive overall," Franklin said. "He made a couple of really good throws. He ran the team well; managed the offense better. He looked much smoother than he did back before the bowl stuff." Burns hit 22 of 37 passes for 162 yards with one touchdown and an interception. Neil Caudle hit 22 of 33 passes for 243 yards with two interceptions and three touchdowns. Zachery didn't play in the regular season last year. His only appearance came in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. He followed that up with nine catches Saturday. Tuberville liked Dunn's eight catches. "He should have a lot of catches. This offense is geared to a guy like him," Tuberville said. "He's going to be one of our big-play guys. We're just looking for a couple of guys to make plays like him."
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