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Texas Tech football QB Behren Morton to miss Liberty Bowl after shoulder surgery
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- Texas Tech football QB Behren Morton to miss Liberty Bowl after shoulder surgery
Texas Tech football quarterback Behren Morton underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder this week and will miss the Liberty Bowl game Dec. 27 against Arkansas.
The Tech athletics department, in an announcement Saturday, said Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed the elective surgery Tuesday in Los Angeles. Morton is expected to resume throwing activities in the spring and return to full workouts in the summer, Tech's statement said.
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ElAttrache, who was recommended by Texas Tech medical director and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kevin Crawford and its sports medicine staff, is the head team physician for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Rams and has significant experience with professional athletes across the NFL and Major League Baseball.
"After hearing from several leading NFL medical experts, my family and I felt it was best to get this procedure done now so that I can fully rehab this spring and be ready for the start of summer workouts," Morton said in a statement Tech released. "As I've said all year, this injury did not impact me at all this past season.
"I elected to undergo this surgery now for my long-term success, which will allow me to invest more time in offseason strength and conditioning and my development as a quarterback. I love this team and will be there every step of the way as a captain and leader entering the bowl game."
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Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Behren Morton (2) drops back to pass against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field.
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Morton suffered a grade-3 AC joint sprain in his right shoulder in last year's Big 12 opener at West Virginia, the Red Raiders ' fourth game, and played through it the rest of the season.
Morton started all 12 games this season , throwing for 3,335 yards, currently 10th in the FBS. He's thrown 27 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. He was the first Tech quarterback to start every regular-season game since Patrick Mahomes in 2016 and the first Tech quarterback not to miss a regular-season start because of injury since Nic Shimonek in 2017.
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In Morton's absence, Tech named highly touted freshman Will Hammond to start the Liberty Bowl. Hammond has played in three games, throwing for 191 yards and a touchdown.
"Behren is a competitor and a fantastic leader for this football program," McGuire said. "I know he wants to be with his teammates against Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl, but this decision is best for his long-term future as a quarterback as well as following his playing career. Our team has been preparing for this possibility, and I know Behren will be a great resource to Will and our entire team in the days leading up to the game."
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Hammond played the entire second half of Tech's 35-34 loss Oct. 26 at TCU, completing 10 of 15 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown and rushing for a touchdown. He entered because Morton injured the shoulder shortly before halftime, but Morton returned to the starting lineup the next week and led a 23-22 upset at No. 10 Iowa State.
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At the end of March, Morton was shut down after six sessions of spring practice when soreness didn't subside as usual. Shortly thereafter, he went to Los Angeles to be seen by ElAttrache and to Arlington for an examination by Texas Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister.
McGuire said in May the feedback Morton received was to have surgery only as a last resort. The following week, Morton spent several days in Jacksonville, Florida, working with Tom Gormely , an orthopedic clinical specialist, sports physical therapist and applied biomechanics coach. The focus of that input was care and maintenance of the shoulder.
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This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football's Behren Morton has surgery, to miss Liberty Bowl
