Bailey Stockton, Florida WR, exits after suffering non-contact ankle injury
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Bailey Stockton, who is a crucial part of Florida‘s passing game, was forced to exit Saturday’s battle with No. 7 Texas in Austin after he suffered a non-contact ankle injury.
The senior was already listed as a game-time decision for the Gators on Saturday morning’s SEC injury report, but he decided to give it a go. Stockton was actually having a productive day with 4 catches for 31 yards as Tramell Jones made his first start at quarterback.
But disaster struck when Stockton suffered the injury, and history shows that non-contact injuries can often be the most serious ones. Stockton’s departure from the game was another blow for a Florida offense that’s looking to find itself with a new starting QB and following 2 straight losses.
Stockton was helping the Gators stay in the Week 7 game, and he entered Saturday’s game with 23 catches for 258 yards and 2 touchdowns while battling through injury.
Last Saturday’s loss to South Carolina provided another challenge for Stockton, and he talked about his feelings on playing through injury but still remaining available for his team.
“I’m banged up, but the team needs a win. The more players that play means we have a better opportunity,” Stockton was quoted as saying in a social media post by alligatorSports after the Week 6 home setback to the Gamecocks.
Stockton gave it a go again on Saturday despite already being banged up, and he has somehow played in every game so far this season. But it just turned into another wide receiver injury for Florida when Stockton was forced to leave Saturday’s game with the non-contact injury.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
