The problem first surfaced last spring. Pain in Brandon Jemison's hip was at times painful during North Dakota State's football season last fall, but he thought rest would be the remedy.
An MRI three weeks ago said otherwise. The Bison linebacker had surgery this week to address damage in his hip socket.
"It's partially genetic," Jemison said Wednesday. "The bone wasn't in the socket correctly and over time from football, there was damage to the cartilage."
That damage will cost Jemison four to six months of rehabilitation. Certainly, spring football is out and the top end, six months, puts him around the start of fall practice.
He's hoping it will last only four months.
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"That's four to six months until full speed," he said.
Among other procedures, Jemison said doctors had to shave some bone so the hip would fit correctly in the socket. He'll be in crutches for only about a week, he said, and start walking slowly after that.
Jemison was a major cog in a Bison defense that helped the team reach the quarterfinals of the Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. He was second on the team with 81 tackles and started all 14 games.
Without him, NDSU will have seniors Preston Evans and Chad Willson and sophomore Grant Olson as returning linebackers for spring football. Sophomore Don Carter is pegged as a backup who could see more time.
Jemison, from Fargo South, did not redshirt as a freshman so it's possible he could still do so this season, although that's not in his thoughts.
Asked if he feels like he'll be ready for fall drills, the response was short and to the point. "Oh yeah," he said.
Inforum searchword: Bison
Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack can be heard on the Saturday Morning Sports Show, 9-11 a.m. on WDAY-AM (970).
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He can be reached at (701) 241-5546. Kolpack's NDSU media blog can be found
