Nov. 28, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; - Penn State junior running back Brandon Beachum (Struthers, Ohio) underwent surgery today for a broken left ankle suffered late in the Nittany Lions' game at Wisconsin last Saturday.
According to Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli, Penn State Director of Athletic Medicine, rehabilitation will take four to six months.
The ankle is the second serious injury Beachum suffered during his collegiate career. In November 2009, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament against Indiana and missed the entire 2010 season while rehabilitating the right knee injury. The former Cardinal Mooney High School All-American also missed several games in the middle of this season with a sprained foot.
Beachum ranked fourth on the team with 134 rushing yards on 34 carries (3.9 avg.). Earlier this season, he set a career-high with 11 rushes against Temple and had a career long run of 22 yards versus Indiana State. For his career, Beachum gained 361 yards on 86 attempts (4.2 avg.) and two touchdowns.
An advertising/public relations major, Beachum is on schedule to graduate in December, in 3 1/2 years. He was introduced during the Nov. 12 Senior Day ceremony vs. Nebraska and does not plan to play in 2012.
No. 23 Penn State and No. 15 Wisconsin tied for the Big Ten Leaders Division title with 6-2 records. The Nittany Lions (9-3) won at least nine games for the 14th time in their 19 years in the Big Ten
Penn State is eligible to participate in its 44th bowl game. Its 27 bowl wins are No. 3 nationally and 43 bowl visits are good for No. 8 in the nation. The Nittany Lions lead all Big Ten teams in bowl wins, appearances and winning percentage. Penn State will learn its destination and opponent when all the bowl selections are revealed on Sunday, Dec. 4.