Pitt's Graham Closer To Returning
PITTSBURGH (93-7 THE FAN) -- Day number seventeen of the inaugural Camp Chryst ended with important, if not good, news for the Panthers: more clarity at the tailback position.
Pitt senior tailback Ray Graham told 93.7 The Fan's Eric Hagman his injured right knee is feeling better, and he is open to the possibility of returning to game action soon, though it is still uncertain whether he'll play in the team's season opener against visiting Youngstown State next Saturday at 6:00.
Graham briefly wore a blue practice jersey on Wednesday, which allowed him to participate in contact drills for the first time since his knee injury last fall, before donning the same green non-contact uniform with which he began training camp before the end of the afternoon.
One of the most revered skill players in the Big East, Graham was poised for a team record-setting junior season until a torn ACL early in a 35-20 win over Connecticut Oct. 26 ended his 2011 campaign. Graham sat on 958 yards rushing and nine TD's in seven-plus games, averaging nearly six yards per carry.
"Just to be out there with my teammates, and fly around...it felt good to see where I was. Just to see what would go on when I got hit felt good. My knee stood up, so I feel my knee is ready enough that, when it's time to play the first game, I'll be out there," Graham said.
"It's been [a while] since I was live, to actually have people hitting me, so I've definitely cleared a hurdle."
Graham also talked about some of the more impressive performances of camp thus far, and gave his analysis of Hopewell sensation Rushel Shell. If Graham is a no-go for next Saturday, the pure freshman and/or redshirt freshman Malcolm Crockett might get some snaps behind sophomore and probable backup Isaac Bennett.
Hear the rest of what Graham had to say to the press after Wednesday's camp session:
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