Robbie Hummel: Purdue Forward Tears ACL Again; Out for Entire Season

Purdue forward Robbie Hummel has torn his ACL for the second straight season.

After training out of his mind the entire offseason, all the hard work has been erased in the blink of an eye.

The torn ACL is probably the most infamous sports injury of the past decade.

The devastating injury usually takes nine months to an entire year to fully recover from, unless your name is Wes Welker, of course.

This is the third time in this past sports calendar year a major Purdue sports star has torn his ACL and ended a promising season.

In April, Purdue starting running back Ralph Boldin tore his ACL during an offseason practice.

Starting quarterback Robert Marve tore his ACL just a couple of weeks ago in a game against Toledo.  The same injury ended Marve's football season last year as well.

ACL injuries occur from a hyper extension or twist of the knee.

Sports like football and basketball require cutting and planting, so athletes are liable to ACL injuries. Hence, should college programs mandate the universal wearing of knee braces? Most college football teams make their offensive lineman wear protective braces.

For schools as plagued by the injury as Purdue, it has to be in the back of coaches' minds.

The Purdue basketball team had Final Four dreams this season, but losing Hummel is a big blow to their championship hopes.