U of L WR Parker out 6-8 weeks with injury

Star University of Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker suffered a broken fifth metatarsal in his left foot on Friday and planned to have surgery on Monday afternoon, U of L coach Bobby Petrino said.

Parker, a senior, visited an orthopedic specialist in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday morning for further evaluation after telling his grandfather that his foot "twisted funny" during Friday's intrasquad scrimmage.

The timeline for Parker's return from the surgery is "6-8 weeks," Petrino said, which could have him return as early as the week of Louisville's Oct. 11 game at Clemson. If the recovery takes all eight weeks, he'd more likely get cleared a few days before U of L's Oct. 30 matchup at home against Florida State.

Clearance to play and actual full comfort after a broken metatarsal are two different things, and projecting Parker's return would be speculation at this point. For now, Louisville's left piecing together its receiving corps ahead of the Monday night showdown with Miami.

"We'll certainly miss him. He's a great player and he's a fun guy to be around because he has such a good attitude and works hard," Petrino said. "We'll have to find a way to move the ball.

"Guys have to step up and perform. We're fortunate with the situation we're in that we have a lot of experienced players … You're never going to replace a guy like DeVante with just one guy."

Petrino said redshirt senior Kai De La Cruz will probably start in Parker's place, with help from another senior, Matt Milton.

The main pass-catching responsibility will likely shift to sophomore James Quick and senior tight end Gerald Christian, who are both considered the next in line behind Parker as the team's best receiving threats.

Seniors Eli Rogers and Michaelee Harris will be key targets underneath for new quarterback Will Gardner.

"It's tough when you lose a guy like DeVante — he's a great athlete and a heck of a person overall," Gardner said, "but with the guys we have at receiver … I know those guys are going to step up and have a great game against Miami."

Parker seemed in good spirits all weekend, posting and retweeting positive comments directed toward him on Twitter. On Monday morning, the Ballard High graduate tweeted a quote from Proverbs 3:5, a Bible verse about trusting in God.

He also mentioned his excitement for the college football season's imminent start.

"He's such a calm guy," Petrino said. "You wouldn't know that it bothered him that much, though obviously it does. He's a great competitor. He took it better than I did."

Charlotte-based Dr. Bob Anderson was scheduled to perform the surgery. Anderson's operated on "a lot of NFL players," Petrino said, and was chosen to do it because he'll be the doctor in the room at the NFL draft combine next winter when Parker meets with pro team personnel.

"DeVante has a future in NFL football," Petrino said. "To have the doctor who performed the surgery speaking to all the GMs, coaches and medical staff throughout the NFL at the Combine, what better scenario could you have?"

Reach U of L beat writer Jeff Greer at (502) 582-4044 and follow him on Twitter (@jeffgreer_cj).