Louis Nix, the monster nose tackle for Notre Dame, has been battling knee problems for much of the season, and after practice Thursday, coach Brian Kelly announced that Nix would miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his ailing left knee.
Nix missed the Air Force and Navy games but was able to tough it out against Pittsburgh two weekends ago. Following the Pitt game, an MRI showed further damage and Nix was advised to have surgery for a torn meniscus.
"When I got back to the Pitt game, in my head, I wasn't thinking about it," Nix said. "It was like, just go out here and ball, don’t think about being hurt. But then the week went on – me walking to class, me being in class, teachers noticing I have to stand up just because my leg wasn't comfortable at a 90-degree angle.
"I couldn't sleep because of it. It's been like that all year, but it worsened. At that point, this point of this week, doing weight training and stuff, I knew I had to tell them it's been bothering me."
Nix has one year of eligibility remaining, but he is considered a likely high-round NFL draft pick, so he has likely played his last snap for the Fighting Irish. He is on schedule to graduate in December, but says he hasn't made a decision concerning the Draft yet.
"I don't know what to consider. This is a great place. It's a great university. It's done a lot for my life. I feel like if I did come back it would do numerous things for me and help me out. There's a lot of choices on both sides. But at this time I'm not even thinking about it," Nix said.
Nix’s family will be in South Bend Saturday for Senior Day, a moment Nix returned to school for after passing up the NFL Draft after the Irish’s National Championship game appearance last season.
The 6-foot-3, 342-pound Nix will finish the 2013 season with 27 total tackles and two tackles for loss.
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H/T Chicago Tribune
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