Bohnenkamp: Tough Break for Kyler Schott
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Kyler Schott is a confident guy, but he admitted there’s no easy way to tell your head coach that you broke your foot … baling hay.
“Oh, very (nervous),” the Iowa offensive guard said during the Hawkeyes’ media day on Friday, when he recounted his call to Kirk Ferentz. “I had to nerve up to make that phone call. Just because of the way it happened — I wasn’t here when it happened. I was back home.
“Just a weird situation.”
Ferentz acknowledged that.
“I think he's the first guy, at least in 23 years, I can remember that got injured baling hay,” Ferentz quipped.
Schott was helping his family on their farm in Coggon, Iowa, when the accident happened.
“We had a stack of hay bales,” Schott said. “Jumped from the top, didn’t land correctly. Just knew right away something was wrong.”
Schott’s first call was to Kammy Powell, Iowa’s head trainer, who got Schott in to get X-rays.
“I knew right away something was broken,” Schott said.
Schott’s hope is to be back by the Iowa State game in the second week of the season. For now, Justin Britt will slide into his starting spot.
“He's probably going to miss some playing time early in this season,” Ferentz said. “I can't tell you when, if it'll be the second week, third week or fourth week. But we expect him back somewhere in the first portion of the season, but he will not be ready early, at least I think that would be a real long shot to expect him to be ready for the first game.”
“Obviously that’s unfortunate,” center Tyler Linderbaum said. “He’s such a great kid. I think he broke the exact same bone in his other foot two years ago.
“Just being positive with him. That’s all you can do.”
Schott, who missed five games with an injury in 2019, called this injury “frustrating.”
“But nothing I can do about it now,” he said. “All I can do is help guys get ready.”
Iowa’s offensive line has always been about fitting the right pieces into the right spot. And the Hawkeyes have the depth, Linderbaum said.
“I don’t know how many offensive line units have had the same starters from Week 1 to Week 12,” he said. “Injuries happen, and it’s part of the game. Going into the season, you want eight or nine guys who can play for you.
“There’s a sense of urgency to get guys pushing along, and to get the snaps they need to prepare for a game.”
And when Schott gets back, he doesn’t want his job handed back to him.
“My plan is I’m going to have to battle to get my spot back,” he said. “That’s my hope, too. I shouldn’t just come back and be ‘the guy.’ My hope is to have to battle to get my spot back, because Justin Britt, or whoever, is in there playing super-well.”
“You never want injuries to happen, but that is a good reminder for all of us,” Ferentz said. “I tell our team all the time this could happen any time. It could be a Friday before a game. You just never know. So people have to be ready.”
Schott knows he can’t push the rehabilitation and healing process.
His timetable, though, is simple.
“As soon as possible,” Schott said.
