Maryland QB Steffy suffers thumb injury

From NCAA College Football Information & Resource

September 04, 2008

Steffy sits out for about a month with injured finger.

Maryland quarterback Jordan Steffy will be sidelined for atleast three weeks after sustaining a fractured right thumb in the season-opener against Delaware.

Steffy, a fifth-year senior, suffered the injury when he hit his hand on a defender's helmet during the third quarter of the 14-7 Saturday win. He did not practice last Monday and Tuesday and will be replaced by Chris Turner on the QB-1 spot with Josh Portis playing back-up.

"It's a little bit crazy," Turner said. "I didn't see it happening, obviously. The week I was a backup, I said I had to be ready for anything. Here I am now."

The injury to Steffy, which head coach Ralph Freidgen said had a ligament coming off part of the fractured bone, will require a season-ending surgery. Steffy however decided to delay the operation in hopes of being able to return next month.

Steffy won the starting QB job last fall after spending most of his previous seasons on the bench. His starting role was however cut short by a concussion suffered mid-way through the season. He came back in this year's preseason camp and reclaimed the starting role over Turner and Portis, a not-so-popular development atleast from the fans' standpoint as evident by the boos he got in last weekend's outing. He ended that game completing 10-of-18 passes for 115-yards with two-interceptions.

"Jordan, he had tough luck again," Turner said. "I don't know what else to say. He hurt his thumb. I've jammed my thumb a thousand times, and it's the worst injury you can have as a quarterback, and it's just a finger."

Turner took over from Steffy last season and managed to lead the Terps in pulling off a huge victory over Boston College and helped the team earn a berth for the Emerald Bowl. He will make his first start of the season Saturday against Middle Tennessee State with Portis expected to see action on selected series.

In other team news, Friedgen said that sophomore tailback Da'Rel Scott has practiced with the team the last two days after the infected laceration on his left leg has cleared up. Another sophomore tailback, Morgan Green, is probable for the MTSU game while safety Dominique Herald returns after a one-game suspension.

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