AMES, Iowa — Before spring football practice even started, Iowa State was dealing with an injury problem.
Backup quarterback Jerome Tiller had knee surgery before spring break and will go through only select drills until the second half of spring practice.
“He will throw (Wednesday) and be back in two weeks hopefully,” ISU coach Paul Rhoads said.
Tiller suffered a torn ligament at the testing day at the end of winter workouts. Rhoads said Tiller tweaked his knee in the long jump and felt additional pain on the squat rack.
Tiller did take part in ISU's first practice on Tuesday, but the Cyclones will be cautious with him for the next several practices.
Defensive end Rashawn Parker will not take part in contract drills this spring. He is still coming back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Wide receiver Darius Reynolds, who broke a leg last season, is full-go.
Defensive tackle Bailey Johnson is still out after breaking a foot in the Insight Bowl. Rhoads hopes to have him back by the end of the spring.
Wide receiver Lonzie Range and defensive tackle Walter Woods will miss the spring. Both tore anterior cruciate ligaments last fall.
Running back Bo Williams is recovering from a concussion.
Meanwhile, the Cyclones held their pro day Tuesday. Chicago Bears offensive line coach Mike Tice watched guard Reggie Stephens, who is considered by most draft analysts as a late-round pick.
“It went well,” Stephens said. “He watched me go through drills, then he worked me out through about 10 different position drills. I did well.”
ISU, UNI asked to cut tax money
DES MOINES (AP) — A proposal by the state Board of Regents would give two of Iowa's state universities until September to have plans ready for their athletic departments to stop using taxpayer dollars.
Iowa Board of Regents President David Miles said he would like Iowa State and Northern Iowa to reduce or ideally eliminate taxpayer support from their athletic programs. The University of Iowa stopped using tax money for athletics during the 2007-08 school year.
“The bottom line,” UNI Athletic Director Troy Dannen said, “is a department like ours cannot exist without an institution subsidy.”
UNI has an $11.5 million athletic budget, which is expected to receive $4.6 million from taxpayers. That's $793,000 less than last year. Student fees add $1.2 million a year.
ISU Athletic Director Jamie Pollard declined to comment. His budget is $43.3 million, and the department is expected to receive $3 million in taxpayer dollars this year. That's about $550,000 less than last year.
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