Former Indiana OG Simon Stepaniak Placed on Packers' Reserve Lists
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — While Indiana was preparing for the Gator Bowl last season, they lost an important piece in the process.
Offensive guard Simon Stepaniak tore his ACL in one of the December practices leading up to the game, causing him to miss his final game as a Hoosier.
It was a tough pill to swallow for Stepaniak, who spent five years in Bloomington. But a few months later it paid off for Stepaniak. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers.
“This has been a dream forever to be a professional athlete,” Stepaniak told reporters at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.
Stepaniak had stayed in Bloomington after the injury because he was confident in the care he was receiving from the Hoosiers’ trainers and doctors. He was scheduled to be full-go for football activities in mid-July, but it appears he is slightly behind schedule.
On Aug. 1, the Green Bay Packers placed Stepaniak on the non-football injury list. Stepaniak is on the list with rookie running back Patrick Taylor, who is also still recovering from an injury from college.
They are still able to remain on the active roster and can take part in football activities once medically cleared.
Active/NFI now means they can go on reserve/NFI during the final roster cutdown to 55 players. Going on one of those reserve lists means a player must miss at least the first six weeks of the season. There is a chance Stepaniak could be set for the start of the season.
For the complete story from Sport Illustrated’s Bill Huber, CLICK HERE.
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HOOSIERS IN THE NFL: There are 14 former Indiana players on NFL rosters heading into this season. Check out the previews on each of them. CLICK HERE.
