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Nebraska-bound JD Spielman out for lacrosse season with knee injury

By Paul Klauda, Star Tribune, 05/05/16, 4:34PM CDT

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JD Spielman, who starred in lacrosse and football at Eden Prairie, had surgery last Friday after getting hurt in a game on April 23


JD Spielman will play football at Nebraska.

Eden Prairie’s JD Spielman, who drew a Division I scholarship offer as a lacrosse player before committing to play football at Nebraska, is out for the rest of the lacrosse season after a knee injury that required surgery.

Spielman injured his right knee in a game on April 23 against Lakeville North. “He just planted,’’ his mother, Michelle, said Thursday. “He kept playing the whole game but felt something with his knee.’’

An MRI three days later showed a piece of his knee cap had broken off, Michelle said. Spielman had surgery last Friday and will have his knee in a brace for several weeks. He started rehab the day after surgery and is “working hard to get back healthy,’’ she said.

The injury marked the first time that Spielman, a senior who starred in lacrosse and football for the Eagles, had to miss a game, his mother said.

An explosive running back who also played defense and special teams, Spielman scored 26 touchdowns in his final season. He was the Star Tribune’s metro player of the year and winner of the statewide Mr. Football award from the Minnesota Football Coaches Association.

Michelle said her son “didn’t think twice’’ about playing lacrosse after committing to play football at Nebraska. Spielman, who turned down a lacrosse scholarship offer from Ohio State, helped the Eagles win a state title in 2014 and was hoping to go out on top again this year, she said.

He now plans to report to Nebraska’s first summer session on June 6 and finish his knee rehab with the school’s training staff, she said. Previously he planned to finish the lacrosse season and report for the second summer session.

Spielman expects to be ready for football practice in July, Michelle said.

 

Paul Klauda • 612-672-7280