The smile on Justin Murphy’s face while wearing the hospital gown hid a dreary truth: The UCLA right tackle was probably finished for the season.
Having been a veteran of two previous surgeries on his knee, Murphy was an expert on the recovery process even before undergoing a third arthroscopic procedure last month to clean up cartilage damage in the same knee. He tweeted out a cheerful photo of himself at the doctor’s office and alluded to his season being cut short.
But since his knee was considered structurally sound, Murphy held out hope that he might be able to play in another game or two.