Missouri State football will be without one of its starting linebackers this season because of a knee injury sustained in a June car crash involving an RV.
Jared Lloyd, who started nine games as a sophomore last season, suffered a “significant knee injury” that will sideline him for the entire 2024 season, Bears head coach Ryan Beard confirmed to the News-Leader on Tuesday.
Lloyd was one of three football players in the vehicle that crashed with a camper that failed to stop at a stop sign on Jefferson Avenue on the morning of June 17. The players were leaving a morning workout when the crash occurred.
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Lloyd was a breakout performer for the Bars last season, finishing second on the team with 67 total tackles with 38 being for a solo and 7.5 being for a loss. His injury creates a second open linebacker competition heading into fall camp. Tahj Chambers is the Bears’ lone returning starter within the group following Von Young’s departure as the team’s strongside linebacker.
Also in the car, redshirt freshman Jamauri Sands injured his ankle and was sidelined from offseason workouts for two weeks. Starting cornerback Avery Powell, who was named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s All-Newcomer team, walked away uninjured.
“He almost got killed,” Beard said. “I’m thankful we’re talking about them getting back into football and not talking about their funeral. If anyone has a reason to enjoy life and find their purpose in something… they were going home from a 9:30 a.m. lift thinking nothing was going on and then somebody runs a stop sign and you could be dead instantly. Don’t ever take a second for granted. Smile and live life to the fullest.”
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Jared Lloyd: Missouri State football linebacker out for season
Springfield News-Leader
