BEREA, Ohio (June 13, 2005) -- Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow will undergo surgery on the right knee he injured while attempting stunts on his high-powered motorcycle last month.
Winslow tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee when he crashed his motorcycle into a parking lot curb at 35 mph. The 21-year-old was hospitalized for nine days after being thrown over the handlebars.
On the opening day of Cleveland's minicamp, Browns coach Romeo Crennel said Winslow, who has not commented publicly about the accident, will miss the entire 2005 season -- the first time the team has been allowed to reveal that information because of federal privacy laws.
"Hopefully he'll have a good repair," Crennel said, "and we'll get him back on the field at some point, whenever that is."
Wearing a brace on his knee and a backward Cleveland Indians cap, Winslow watched intently from the sideline as the Browns practiced. As he walked off the field, Winslow said, "I'm all right. Thanks."
Based on his experience with other players, Crennel said Winslow likely will need nine months to recover from the operation. At the time of his accident, Winslow was still rehabbing a broken right leg he suffered in his second game as a rookie.
"He is back to square one," Crennel said. "He'll be where he was last year, having to rehab an injury. Hopefully at this time next year he'll be back on the field. Hopefully we'll have a player then."
Winslow violated a "dangerous activities" clause in his contract by riding the motorcycle, which he had purchased in April. Now that he has missed a mandatory team event, the team can begin asking for a portion of the lucrative bonus he was paid in March.
The Browns have not yet informed Winslow they will ask him to return some of the money.
Although his only public comments about the accident and injuries have come in a recently released statement, Winslow has expressed remorse to Crennel and his teammates.
"He's a good friend of everyone in here," tight end Steve Heiden said. "I've got nothing but positive things to say about him."
Cleveland traded a second-round pick to move up one spot and select Winslow with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. But Winslow, who briefly held out of training camp in a contract dispute, made only five catches before breaking his ankle while trying recover an onside kick in Week 2 at Dallas and missing the final 14 games.
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