Tennessee QB has knee injury

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., March 9 (UPI) -- Quarterback Erik Ainge of Tennessee will miss the remainder of spring practice because of a right knee injury.

Neither Ainge nor Coach Phillip Fulmer know exactly how the injury occurred, but it may require surgery.

"We think it's probably from something that happened previously," Fulmer said on the school's Web site. "It could have been in high school, it could have been here. It wasn't any trauma or any one particular lick. It sometimes happens. I'm just glad we are able to take care of it. It's another advantage of starting spring as early as we started it because it gives us plenty of recovery time."

The 6-foot-6 inch Ainge, a native of Hillsboro, Ore., will be a senior next fall and is being counted on heavily by Fulmer.

He shared the position last season, and passed for five touchdowns and 737 yards.