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Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith suffers 'significant' knee injury
Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith, the 2015 Butkus Award winner, suffered what coach Brian Kelly called a “significant” knee injury during the first quarter of Friday’s Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State.
Smith, considered a possible top-10 pick in the 2016 NFL draft if he declares, planted his left leg in the turf. His knee, which was extended, bent awkwardly to the outside.
The junior was down on the turf after the injury and was helped off by Notre Dame's training staff. Smith was unable to put any weight on his left leg when he was helped off. He was subsequently carted to Notre Dame's locker room.
Smith had 113 total tackles and nine tackles for a loss entering the Fiesta Bowl. He's also the second player to win the high school and college versions of the Butkus Award, given to the nation's best linebacker. The other is former Notre Dame LB Manti Te'o.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
