Snap Crackle Pop: Jordan Bernstine Injured

by Hawkeye State on Aug 13, 2009 8:31 AM CDT Comment 14 comments

Probably the closest we're getting to a Jordan Bernstine action shot this year

What started as a rumor has been more or less confirmed: Jordan Bernstine, the prohibitive pre-camp favorite at the non-Spievey cornerback spot, broke his ankle in practice this week and will miss some time, quite possibly the entire season. The initial reports are not good:

"He was one of the gunners going down in [kickoff] coverage," Mihalovich [Bernstine's high school head coach at Des Moines Lincoln] said of what he learned from Bernstine’s mother. "I guess he was shuffling and rolled it over, snapped it pretty good."

The loss of Bernstine, who is an annual nominee for the OMG SHIRTLESS award but has had some injury trouble in the past, is not quite fatal. Bernstine has a redshirt season to burn, and as BHGPodcast listeners know, many were convinced he wasn't going to win the cornerback job from Shaun Prater and would likely shift to safety before the end of September. With that said, Bernstine's injury combined with Prater's 2-game suspension leave Iowa precariously thin at corner for the in-state openers. Not exactly what you want when you're facing a top-notch I-AA pass-first spread offense and the guy who used to coordinate Rice's attack in the first two weeks. Where have you gone, Willie Lowe? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you...

UPDATE: Bernstine is done for the season, and will almost certainly redshirt.

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Don't forget about Juan Castillo's kid

He has the physical tools at least.

by storminspank on Aug 13, 2009 11:48 AM CDT reply actions

(Insert Moeaki Joke Here)

Just sayin’. Let’s keep Tony away from the other children if possible.

by mattbednar on Aug 13, 2009 12:33 PM CDT reply actions

When .....

Do we get to see these pics with his shirt off? Also, I was promised there would be punch and pie.

Taint the Water Tower!

by FireEveryone on Aug 13, 2009 1:01 PM CDT reply actions

That's afterwards

to……replace fluids.

by TarHeelHawk on Aug 13, 2009 1:20 PM CDT reply actions

Update

by YouCanPutYourEddsInIt on Aug 13, 2009 2:40 PM CDT reply actions

Beautiful.

www.wewillalwayshavetempe.com

by Sam @ WWAHT on Aug 13, 2009 4:47 PM CDT up reply actions

Guffaw

I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them.

-- Judge Smails

by WaterlooChazz on Aug 13, 2009 11:47 PM CDT up reply actions

So...

we’ve gone from possibly injuring the starting RB on special teams (Hampton returning kicks) to truly injuring the starting CB in the practice of special teams?

Somebody get Ferentz a Madden depth chart before Ricky Stanzi gets injured while punting.

I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them.

-- Judge Smails

by WaterlooChazz on Aug 14, 2009 12:08 AM CDT reply actions

Who says Bernstine was the starting CB?

The bullshit post-spring depth chart? I think that race was far from decided.

Meanwhile, he HAS done pretty well on special teams for the last year or so, though – the play where he pushed the Gopher player into his own return man last year was my favorite special teams play of the year aside from Brodell’s punt return TD.

Not to mention that big-time starters like Bob and Greenway played special teams at Iowa, even after they’d been established as starters. It’s unfortunate that Bernstine got hurt, but shit happens.

by RossWB on Aug 14, 2009 1:50 AM CDT up reply actions

I accept your points...

and I do remember Bob Sanders raising cane on special teams. But I still think that, if you have someone you are pretty sure you will need to start, then use a youngster or a scrub on the special teams.

On the other hand, that Bernstine play was pretty cool.

Another reason I feel like this could have been avoided was because it was in practice. Oh well.

I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them.

-- Judge Smails

by WaterlooChazz on Aug 14, 2009 7:58 AM CDT up reply actions

Well

But I still think that, if you have someone you are pretty sure you will need to start, then use a youngster or a scrub on the special teams.

I don’t think KF agrees with that attitude, based on his continuing dissatisfaction with the special teams play. He’s stated on a few occasions that our special teams play was at its best when guys like Greenway or Considine were taking active roles in special teams and he seems determined to regain that level of play.

Also, I still think it’s very debatable that he was “someone you are pretty sure you will need to start.” He was in the mix, no doubt, but so were Prater, Lowe, and Castillo.

Another reason I feel like this could have been avoided was because it was in practice. Oh well.

Eh. Injuries happen in practice fairly often. It’s unfortunate, but there’s only so much you can do to avoid it.

by RossWB on Aug 14, 2009 5:01 PM CDT up reply actions

You're right...

Ferentz certainly has a different viewpoint on special teams. Sometimes it looks like genius. But sometimes, dudes lose an appendage.

I think Considine made his mark on special teams first, and then ended up starting (but probably still playing on some special teams).

Injuries definitely happen in practice. I can attest to that, having broken bones or torn muscles twice during my high school career. It just seems like there has been more bad news than good news since beating South Carolina. (Hampton, Vandervelde, Bernstine, and DJK choking on his own foot, Coleman transferring, 2 dudes transferring to community colleges.) I know we’ll get some of these guys back before we know it, but it’s just not the greatest vibe.

I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them.

-- Judge Smails

by WaterlooChazz on Aug 14, 2009 10:48 PM CDT up reply actions

Maybe I shouldn't whine so much...

as there appears to be a worse, less-meaningful way to miss an entire season:

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/bigten/0-3-848/Moeller-s-family-releases-statement.html

I was going to make a joke about not feeling bad because the guy is a member of THE Ohio State football team, but the human instinct in me can not condone head injuries of any type. Except for those ones in Home Alone – because paint cans are hilarious!!!

I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them.

-- Judge Smails

by WaterlooChazz on Aug 14, 2009 11:09 PM CDT up reply actions

IMO, the loss of Bernstine hurts the overall depth in the secondary

And robs of us of a solid special teams player, but it’s far from a crippling blow. He was far from an established starter at this point and the difference between him, Prater, and Lowe/Castillo was very unclear.

To my mind, there are only three (maybe four) positions on this team where an injury would be a complete “oh fucking shit” moment: QB, LT, and MLB. In all three cases, the gulf in talent/experience between the starter (Stanzi, Bulaga, Angerer) and the back-up(s) (Weinke/Vandenburg, Reiff?, Davis?) is enormous and we would have a difficult time compensating for their losses. (Never mind the fact that all three play critical positions.) Greenwood is the fourth guy I’d consider – not for his physical skills, but because he clearly knows the defense inside and out and is very valuable in terms of setting things up on that side of the ball. (Edds and Spievey would be right up there, too.)

by RossWB on Aug 14, 2009 1:55 AM CDT reply actions