KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Injury is nothing new to Tennessee linebacker Kevin Simon, yet he hardly seems depressed or upset that another season has been cut short.
After tearing knee ligaments before arriving at Tennessee and breaking his ankle in 2002, Simon has learned how to deal with disappointment.
Simon, a junior from Walnut Creek, Calif., found out this week he will be out for the rest of the season to recover from tearing the ACL in his left knee during the Florida game.
"It's not going to break my spirits," Simon said Tuesday. "It's not going to break my body."
Meanwhile, the No. 11 Volunteers (2-0) are scrambling to shore up the linebacking corps without one of their best and most experienced defensive players. Tennessee hosts Louisiana Tech (2-1) Saturday.
Coach Phillip Fulmer compared the loss of Simon for the defense to the loss of tailback Jamal Lewis for the offense in 1998.
"But in the case of Jamal, other people stepped up and played really well for us," Fulmer said. "That needs to be the case this time. I think it will be."
A big problem is depth. The Vols have four linebackers who can rotate into the game, which is half the number defensive coordinator John Chavis would prefer.
"I'm really disappointed for Kevin. What a great young man," Chavis said. "He worked so hard to get to where he was."
Simon led the team in tackles last season with 115. He moved to middle linebacker this season after starting every game last year at strongside linebacker.
Simon was a Parade All-American his senior year at De La Salle High School but tore up his right knee in a high school all-star game after the season. He redshirted his first year at Tennessee to
recover. He earned a starting role the next season, but hurt his ankle and had to sit out again.
Finally healthy, Simon entered this season with high hopes.
He was trying to bat down a ball thrown by Florida's Chris Leak when a lineman hit him and he landed awkwardly on his leg during the first quarter of last weekend's game. He knew immediately that he had torn the ligament.
Simon said doctors also found cartilage damage and a bruised bone. He is consulting with UT's doctors, his doctor in California and highly respected orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews in
Birmingham, Ala., about his surgery options.
With eight months of recovery ahead, Simon has accepted his predicament and is ready to start his rehabilitation.
"Tears aren't going to bring back my ACL," he said. "You might as well hold your head up high."
Junior Jon Poe was Simon's first replacement in the game last week.
Tennessee hasn't decided who will start at middle linebacker Saturday. It could be Poe or junior Jason Mitchell, who has been starting on the strong side. If it's Mitchell, then Omar Gaither,
another junior will replace Mitchell outside. Senior Kevin Burnett will continue to start on the weakside.
Burnett also sat out 2002 with a knee injury, and he was looking forward to playing alongside Simon.
"It hurt me. It hurts me even more that he's gone. I feel there's a part of me gone," Burnett said. "We're going to have to carry twice the load."
Poe came onto the field as Simon was being helped off by trainers. Simon went to the locker room and came back to the bench later in the game on crutches.
"I was kind of devastated because we're real close," Poe said. "I told him I was going to play for him and the team and do what I normally do."