Zac Boyer will be entering his third season covering the Washington Redskins for The Free Lance-Star this fall. Make sure to follow Zac on Twitter (@ZacBoyer) for the latest updates or e-mail him with any questions at zboyer@freelancestar.com.
Tim Hightower’s Injury Raises Concern Amongst Redskins Coaches On Disclosure
By ZAC BOYER | zboyer@freelancestar.com | @ZacBoyer
ASHBURN – Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said the way running back Tim Hightower handled the disclosure of his injured left shoulder led to a discussion with all players regarding the reporting of injuries.
Hightower
Hightower originally injured the shoulder in the season-opener against the New York Giants, aggravated it against Dallas in Week 3 and was limited for almost all but the first quarter against St. Louis two weeks ago.
He admitted last week, two days after the Redskins played the Rams, he didn’t disclose the discomfort to any of the coaches because he didn’t want to be off the field.
Ryan Torain entered midway through the second quarter of that game and rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Hightower, who averaged 4.5 yards a carry over the last two seasons in Arizona, is averaging a full yard less through the first four games.
“I talked to him on the side and said, ‘You’ve got to be a little bit more honest with me. If you’re hurting, I need to know you’re hurt,’” Shanahan said. “He didn’t want to admit it. I think that shoulder is a lot better than it was, but looking back at it, I think he’s a little more sore than he let on to. As I talked to our players, I said, you’ve got to let me know if you’re hurt or injured, and if you’re injured, I’ve got to take you out of there.”
As for whether Hightower will play Sunday when the Redskins host Philadelphia, he’s sure of it.
“I’m playing on Sunday,” Hightower said, grinning. “I’m ready to play. It’s better.”
