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University of Virginia defensive tackle Olasunkonmi Agunloye will miss the remainder of the 2023 college football season after an injury during the first quarter of the first game. And to make matters worse, he was playing out of his mind prior to the unfortunate incident.
Agunloye ruptured the patella tendons in both of his knees during a celebration.
#UVA coach Tony Elliott says Su Agunloye suffered a "ruptured patella tendons in both knees," during the loss to Tennessee. Appeared to happen while celebrating on the sideline. Elliott called it a "freak injury."
— Mike Barber (@RTD_MikeBarber) September 5, 2023
The patella tendon connects the bottom of the kneecap to the shinbone and, despite its name, is actually a ligament.
Anterior view of knee joint showing patellar ligament. (Image courtesy: Johns Hopkins Medicine)
A full rupture in both knees required Agunloye to undergo surgery over the long weekend and his timeline for recovery is unknown. It will take him at least a year to get back on the field.
Prior to his injury, the 6-foot-5, 298-pound trench warrior was credited with the Cavaliers’ lone sack against the Tennessee Volunteers and recovered a fumble. Following the recovery, Agunloye high-stepped over to the sideline in celebration.
The jubilee quickly turned to despair as the big defender landed awkwardly and fell to the turf. His teammates ran over to help him up but Agunloye struggled to walk and had to be carted off of the field.
Who is at fault for Olasunkonmi Agunloye’s injury?
What ultimately caused Agunloye’s season to end before it began was not his fault. His celebration wasn’t overly expressive. It’s not like he was jumping from serious heights. He was high-stepping and slipped.
The whole thing was a fluke.
However, with that being said, there are some questions to be asked about the Tennessee Titans’ new field. Saturday’s game between the Hoos and the Vols was the first game of the year that was played at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
feels like home 🟧⬜️🟧⬜️@NissanStadium#GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/B2Q5AJXQiU
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) August 31, 2023
The Titans switched to artificial turf during the offseason. In lieu of the rubber pellets that are commonplace with artificial turf, it is filled with coconut shell shavings and cork.
Was the field partially responsible for Agunloye’s slip? Perhaps. Perhaps not.
Either way, in a year where Virginia is in desperate need of talent, a breakout defensive star is already gone. All because of a fumble recovery celebration.