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PACKERS: Murphy placed on IR; Ferguson offers insight
00:00 am 10/07/05
JASON WILDE
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GREEN BAY - Robert Ferguson knows what Terrence Murphy, his fellow Green Bay Packers wide receiver and close friend, has ahead of him. And the physical healing will be the easier part.
"I think the main thing is just mentally," Ferguson said of Murphy, who was placed on season-ending injured reserve Thursday after suffering a bruised spinal cord on a helmet-to-helmet hit in Monday night's loss at Carolina.
"I think the physical part will take care of itself. (As players), we're used to rehabbing and things like that. It's just the mental part of getting back out there and knowing if you get hit, it's not going to bother you. I know once I got my first hit out of the way, I was fine."
Ferguson's 2004 season ended Dec. 19 when he was clotheslined by Jacksonville safety Donovin Darius on a pass over the middle.
He left the field on a gurney, giving the crowd a thumbs-up with his right hand despite not having any feeling in the lower half of his body at the time. Ferguson eventually regained feeling in all his extremities and was discharged after two nights in a Green Bay hospital.
Murphy's injury occurred when he picked up Najeh Davenport's muffed kickoff return and was met by Panthers safety Thomas Davis, whose helmet struck Murphy's violently. Unlike the hit on Ferguson, which Sherman called a "cheap shot" and confronted Darius on the field about it after the play, Sherman didn't see the hit on Murphy when it happened.
"I didn't realize the severity of it on the field initially. I was so upset that we bobbled the return, I didn't see him get hit," Sherman said. "But when I walked over there and looked at him and looked in his eyes as they took his facemask off, I could see a lot of things were going through his head."
Ferguson, who like Murphy attended Texas A&M and has become "pretty close" to the rookie second-round pick, said the main emotion Murphy felt as he lay on the turf was fear.
"Naturally he was scared. I was the same way," said Ferguson, who planned to visit Murphy after Thursday's practice. "He doesn't know what the future holds right now. He's got to be optimistic and let things heal themselves right now. There's no amount of rehab he can do. He's just got to let things heal themselves."
Added Sherman: "I think once you get back out there, get hit a couple of times, I think it goes into your (memory) file and I don't think you bring it out again unless it happens again. You can't be playing football and thinking about it, that's for sure."
Murphy returned from Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, accompanied by his mother and Packers director of player programs Turner Gill. Sherman said both Murphy's parents are in Green Bay with him and that he will stay here during the first few weeks of his recovery.
Sherman said the team expects Murphy to be back for the post-draft minicamp in April. He said Murphy had "99 percent" of his feeling back but was still experiencing tingling in one of his shoulders.
Murphy was placed on IR because, after an evaluation by doctors in Green Bay, the minimum recovery time was set as eight to 10 weeks, Sherman said.
"And that would have been a little bit of a rush, and probably not in his best interests. So, we felt like this, as an organization, was the best way to go," Sherman said. "I know his parents were pleased with that decision. He just wants to get well and I think this time allows him the opportunity to do that."
Sherman said the loss of Murphy is even more disappointing because the rookie was showing marked improvement since taking over the No. 4 receiver job following Javon Walker's season-ending knee injury Sept. 11 at Detroit.
"That part is very disappointing for me and for him and for our team. He was coming on," said Sherman, who visited Murphy Thursday morning. "We were really getting confidence in him and what he could do, and we were really excited about his progress."
To replace Murphy on the roster, the Packers signed ex-Buffalo halfback RaShard Lee, who had a 69-yard kickoff return against the Packers in an Aug. 20 preseason game. Sherman said Lee could take Murphy's spot on kickoff returns and also could play halfback behind Davenport and Tony Fisher if starter Ahman Green can't play Sunday against New Orleans. Green is listed as questionable because of knee and quadriceps tendon injuries.
"I'm getting a new chance here and I'm going to do the best I can every day," said Lee, who was claimed by Minnesota on waivers from Buffalo but was cut one day later. "I'm really hoping so. I'm hoping to come in and be an impact player, not be a letdown."