We thought Wisconsin defensive end David Gilbert's college career was over because of recurring foot injuries. Why? He told us so himself in an official release from the team on April 5.
So that makes today's news that Gilbert is transferring to Miami quite confusing. Gilbert has already graduated for Wisconsin, so he'll be eligible to play right away with the Hurricanes. He is from Coral Springs, Fla., so this is a homecoming for him.
But Gilbert, who missed most of 2011 and sat out spring practice with foot injuries, told us all in April he would no longer play. Still, there was some wiggle room in there we didn't really notice at the time. Try and spot it:
"This was a difficult decision for me. but I have had multiple injuries and surgeries on my foot and feel that no longer playing at UW is the best decision for me. I have been dealing with pain in my foot since the injury first occurred, and I just need to give it time to fully heal."
Did you see that? He said "playing at UW" was not the best decision for him, not playing somewhere else. So maybe he had something like this in mind from the start. There sure seems to be more to this story, because the Badgers certainly could have used a guy with his athleticism in their 3-4 defense. Gilbert had 42 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and three forced fumbles last season. Perhaps he wasn't excited about a switch to outside linebacker in new coach Gary Andersen's scheme.
We'll see whether Gilbert is actually healthy enough to make an impact for Miami. But it's surprising to see him go there at all.
